Griffon Reborn
by Yrtria
Summary: Harry suffers a mental breakdown while being convicted to Azkaban. He serves his time and rebuilds his life away from the magical world.
1. A Beginning

**Chapter One**

Harry stared at the roiling water below. The bars in the window allowed him to pull himself up when the dementors weren't around his cell; something which didn't happen very often lately.

He pressed his forehead against the ice cold bars and closed his eyes. The coolness of the bars sated the throbbing of his scar most of the time, but today was an exceptionally bad day. Occlumency was out of the question, for as soon as he had calmed his mind enough to start bringing up his shields, the dementors came flooding back to his cell, as if they could feel him blocking their efforts.

Harry dropped back to the floor. He looked back up at the window and let out his breath in a long slow sigh. It had been three years since he had been put in his cell. Much of the time blurred together into nightmarish memories of the dementors feeding on his happier memories.

A small viewing port snapped open on the cell door. Harry looked over with disinterest. His jailers fed him on a rather loose schedule. Thin soup and stale pastry stuffed with near rancid meat was all the prisoners of Azkaban had to look forward to each day. Today was no different, with the exception of a small potion bottle on the side. The first time Harry had seen it, he had thought the jailers were giving him poison to kill himself with. He had carefully tested the contents on a rather large centipede that he had managed to corral. The insect was unaffected by the potion. After a week of testing, he found another potion, the same as the first with his meal.

It seems the ministry did not want any of the prisoners to die due to any kind of perceived torture, so they made sure to provide a mild nutrient potion each week. The potion did double duty to help suppress any escape attempts by enhancing the magical signature of the inmates. Dementors could sense them from miles away. Harry had decided quickly that he would rather die of starvation than give up any chance of escaping from the hell that Fudge had stuffed him into.

"I wonder how Sirius managed to keep himself sane for twelve years of this?" Harry pondered. Thoughts of Sirius dragged up the memory of Harry's trip home and the trial.

The warning that had been given to the Dursley's had almost been enough to give Vernon a stroke on the spot. He had shot Harry a look filled with poison and simply jerked his head towards the waiting car.

Aunt Petunia's coarse voice cut through the background babble of homeward students, "Harry! Get your filthy bird and trunk in the boot of the car. Dudley is already going to be late for his boxing training!"

Harry glanced back at Moony and Mad-eye. He grimaced in resignation and picked up his trunk. With a last moment thought, Harry ran over to Hermione.

"Would you take Hedwig for the summer? I have a feeling this will be a long 'vacation' and I don't want her to be punished with me."

Hermione looked at Harry with her eyes wide and full of tears. "Of course I will! I'll send you regular letters so you can visit. You have my telephone number, right? Call if you need help!"

Harry smiled at Hermione and turned back to the waiting Aunt Petunia. She huffed and strode to the parked car. Harry picked up one end of his school trunk and dragged it to the boot. With a grunt, he lifted it into the car.

The car was silent on the way home from King's Cross Station. Vernon's face was still hovering at a bright red, and the vein in his forehead was throbbing in time with his hissing breathing.

"When we get home, Potter, you will bring your trunk in and wait for me in the entrance hall. Understand? We need to get a few things straight for this summer."

"Yes, Uncle," Harry sighed and looked out his window at the passing scenery.

The car arrived at Number 4 Privet Drive with a lurch. Vernon had managed to keep from yelling at Harry so far, but he knew he was in for a record breaking explosion.

Harry sat waiting in the front hall for only a minute before Vernon came thundering in from the kitchen. He towered over Harry for what seemed like forever before opening his mouth to speak.

"You will put your trunk into the cupboard under the stairs, where it will be locked away for the summer. I don't want any of your freakishness to be on display at all this summer. You will write your letters to those 'friends' of yours in my presence. If I see or hear anything I even suspect has to do with your freaky friends, you will regret it!"

Harry sighed and pushed his trunk into the cupboard. He watched in misery as his only link to the magical world was locked away from his reach.

"Now, go and wash up, then make supper! I expect to have it within the hour!" Vernon turned, and strode into the family room.

Harry stood staring at the cupboard for another long moment then dejectedly entered the kitchen to make supper.

That evening, Harry was in his room, lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were running over and over what had happened to Sirius. As his mind was playing through the scene for the hundredth time, an out of place sound started to pierce his awareness. Harry had managed to keep the sneakoscope that Ron had given him. It sat on the corner of his desk. The strange little device was spinning and whistling in a gradually rising pitch. Harry sat up out his bed and walked over to the little ball. He glanced out the window only to see a flash of red across the street where his "minders" were stationed.

Harry's eyes widened with the realization that the house was under attack. And his wand was locked in the hall! Harry ran to the door of his room and grabbed the knob, a quick tug, threw the door open. Harry took one step through the door and was knocked off his feet from running into a man standing just outside the door. He looked up to see the end of a wand pointed at his face.

"Stupefy." A red flash and Harry knew no more.

* * *

The sound of someone hammering was the first thing he was aware of. His brain felt about three sizes too big for his skull, and his mouth was full of cotton. What had happened? Where was he?

Harry tried to shift and realized he was chained to the chair. His eyes flew open as his surroundings came into focus. He was chained into the chair in the middle of Courtroom Ten. He had been here for his underage magic trial.

"Order! Order!" Cornelius Fudge pounded his gavel again. The Wizengamot quieted and settled into their seats.

"We are gathered at this sealed emergency meeting to review the occurrences that happened in the Department of Mysteries a few days ago. I'm sure you have all read over the reports that the Aurors provided of the willful damage and destruction of the Prophesy Vault. Additionally, the massive amount of Ministry property that was destroyed, including the Atrium, is attributed to this incident. Please remember this session will be sealed, and you may not discuss the events once it is over. Failure to follow this will result in time spent in Azkaban by the offender."

Harry tried to speak out, but found he was silenced. Apparently this was going to be Fudge's show, and he was taking no chances of being de-railed from whatever outcome he had planned. Harry noted that neither Dumbledore nor Amelia Bones were present.

"In order to complete this investigation, and close the matter, charges have been laid against Harry James Potter for the following: Willful destruction of property, mischief causing destruction of property, breaking and entering a restricted area, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting an escaped criminal, namely Sirius Black."

An uproar of raised voices came from the members of the Wizengamot. Fudge pounded the gavel again.

"The accused has already provided a statement, in an attempt to remove responsibility from himself, he has made false claims of the Dark Lord returning. In response to the claimed sighting by myself and others on the night in question, I call upon Miss Delores Umbridge to read the report that was provided by the forensic team."

Umbridge stood and walked over to a small podium. She ruffled the papers in front of her and looked up at the collected members of the Wizengamot.

"Hem hem. As per the findings provided by the Auror forensic team, the reported sighting of He-who-must-not-be-named was false. Due to the immense magical resonance still left in the air from the massive destruction of the prophesies in the Vault, random magical effects were sure to happen. After an in depth scan of the Atrium, there was no specific portkey or apparition signature found to support the sighting."

Umbridge looked down at Harry. He could see the glee with which she read the report.

"There you have it. Clear as can be. I believe that is the pertinent part of the report, Minister."

"Yes, thank you, Delores. Please take your seat. I now call upon Lucius Malfoy for his statement."

Lucius strode down from his seat in the viewing gallery. He walked to the podium and carefully folded his hands on the top.

"Thank you, Minister. I had come to the Ministry that night to apply for several portkeys to be used for my family's vacation this year. I was here by special appointment to see Mr. Hughs. I had planned on surprising my family with a trip to France, and it fit better with my schedule to come at that time. Mr. Hughs was accommodating enough to be in his office late that night so I could complete my transaction."

Fudge cleared his throat, "Please notice the information package you have shows Mr. Hughs as clocked in on that night. Continue Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius bowed his head in a slow nod. "I had finished my business when I felt a tremor. I knew there shouldn't be anyone else in the ministry this late, so I took it upon myself to investigate. Imagine my surprise when I saw Potter and his accomplices go storming into the elevator! I quickly floo'd the aurors, and then attempted to stop the hooligans myself. Imagine to my surprise when they started firing spells at me!"

Harry was stunned. He could hardly believe how smooth Malfoy was at the lies he was spreading. He strained at the chains in a desperate struggle to stop what he could see coming. The chains simply grew tighter and locked Harry into the chair even more firmly.

"I pursued them into the Department of Mysteries death chamber. It was there that Sirius Black was hiding. He immediately started to duel me. It was all I could do to deflect the deadly spells and hexes that were cast at me. It was then that I managed to push him through the veil with an Expelliarmus. I was stunned shortly afterwards by one of the fellow students of Potter. I don't know what happened after that. I would assume they moved up to the Atrium to escape in an orgy of vandalism!"

The gallery burst into angry yells and shouts. Harry was stunned. He felt none of what he was seeing was real. His mind was detached and he felt like he was floating free. Fudge banged his gavel for a minute solid before the crowd quieted enough to continue.

"Let me be the first to thank you for removing such a dangerous criminal from our streets. I have submitted you for an Order of Merlin, First Class for your terrific courage in facing such an evil man."

Harry's face was wet with tears. His heart felt like it was going to stop beating in his chest if he had to listen to the character assassination of Sirius any longer. He shook his head and was trying to shout out, "No…no!" The silence held.

"Fellow Wizards and Witches, I see no other choice but to convict Mr. Potter for his heinous crimes. All in favor please stand."

Harry watched as every person in the gallery stood up almost in unison. His throat was on fire from screaming to be heard, and his eyes burned with disbelieving tears. It felt like he was falling through a grey tunnel, farther and farther away from the courtroom. His senses were dull and far away. Sounds came to him as though they were heard through a thick door.

"Very well. Guilty. Harry James Potter, you are convicted and hear-by ordered to serve no less than 10 years in Azkaban Prison. Due to the seriousness of the conviction, I am also ordering you to be restricted to solitary confinement. Aurors, take him away. This court is dismissed."

An Auror walked in front of Harry, and with a flourish, snapped his wand. There was a small burst of fire, and his wand was destroyed.

Harry faintly felt hands take hold of him, and a cold object pressed against his arm. As the portkey took hold, and yanked from inside his stomach he could hear Fudge speaking to Malfoy, "These thing always make me hungry. I'd be honored to accept your dinner invitation…."


	2. Hell on Earth

**A/N: This chapter was a bit difficult to write. It started at a third the length it is now. I didn't like how much it left out, so I've added some more to it.**

**WARNING: This chapter does have some pretty icky stuff in it. My apologies to anyone who previously read the it before I had the warning up here. I will place a large *** WARNING *** in the text so you can jump past if you are of weak stomach.**

**Chapter 2**

Harry sat down on his thin pallet. He had managed to collect enough seabird feathers to keep him from being too cold in his bed. The resulting mass looked more like a rat's nest than a bed, but it was warm.

He pulled the nest up around him and tried to sleep. His dreams were as bad as ever. He had always woken up in a cold sweat, with his heart pounding in his chest. For the first few weeks of his time in Azkaban, Harry's throat was always sore from the yelling and screaming he did in his sleep. When he was awake, the cell and everything around him seemed far away; almost as if he was seeing it through someone else's eyes.

Sometimes it seemed like his dreams were more real than his life in Azkaban. They would be of places and people outside of the prison. Mostly they would fade from memory a few minutes of Harry waking up. Some of the more powerful ones were burned into his mind.

_Dumbledore looked up as the fire in the grate flared with an incoming flue call. The familiar face of Remus Lupin thrust himself through the fire._

"_Albus! Harry's missing!"_

_Albus Dumbledore blinked for a moment of surprise, and then quickly scanned the devices and trinkets on the shelves around his office. Many of the ones he used to track Harry were still being repaired after the 'incident' in Dumbledore's office a week earlier._

"_How long has he been missing, Remus?"_

"_We're not sure. We think he slipped away from Mundungus shortly after he arrived at the Dursley's for the summer. When we didn't get a letter after three days, I was called to go and check on Harry. The Dursley's say they haven't seen him since the day they picked him up from the train. His trunk is gone too!"_

_Dumbledore sat in his office chair with a thump. He had no real way of tracking Harry with most of his devices broken. There hadn't been any Daily Prophet sightings of Harry Potter in ages, and his Gringott's account hadn't been accessed since the start of school last year._

"_Albus… what do we do!?" Remus' face was frantic. He could feel in his heart of hearts that Harry was in trouble._

"_Call the Order together immediately. I will set some things in motion. Don't worry, Remus. We will find him."_

_With a nod, Remus Lupin's face pulled back from the fire. Dumbledore sat in contemplation for a moment._

"_What have you done, Harry?"_

Gradually as the weeks went by, the dreams became less and less terrifying. Harry's mind turned to the betrayal of Dumbledore and his friends. How come they didn't come to save him? Why weren't they at the trial? He could feel a burning in his mind as he ran through the reasons his friends had abandoned him.

"_Ah! Lucius! It's always good to see you. What can I do for you?"_

_Fudge's office was resplendent with silk wall hangings, and a thick rug. His desk almost filled the one end of the spacious room, and his small portly frame almost hidden by the desk._

_Lucius Malfoy gave a small, not quite mocking bow of his head. _

"_Minister, I brought some suggestions for the upcoming werewolf control laws. It was felt that I would be the best spokesperson to bring these to you, as I have the utmost respect for you."_

_Fudge looked briefly at the papers. He set them down on the desk and turned back to Malfoy._

"_Of course. It is only by allowing the people a voice that we can be sure we are doing as the people want. On another note, have you heard any whisperings of Potter? I'm sure the magical oath we had the Wizengamot members sign will take care of any leaks, but I still worry."_

_Malfoy swung his cloak out of the way as he sat in a chair at the front of Fudge's desk. He looked at the man behind the desk and nearly sneered in contempt. He hated simpering for this fool, and could only hope his Lord gave him to deal with when the time came._

"_Not a squeak, Minister. The press has quieted, and I believe even Dumbledore has given up hope. Now is the time to put that distasteful chapter of our lives behind us. Now, for the real reason I came. I recently have come across some evidence that shows several people you are holding in the Ministry cells are innocent. I'm sure you will agree they should be released immediately." Lucius handed Fudge a few papers and a Gringott's bank draft._

_Fudge looked at the amount on the bottom and smiled._

Harry woke up from this dream beating at the door of the cell, somehow thinking he had Fudge in front of him. Fudge's laughing face disappeared into the door. His hands were dripping blood on the cell floor, cut from pounding on the wood. Harry then realized everything was badly blurred. He would often have troubles seeing for a few minutes after waking, but this was extreme. Reaching up a bloodied hand he felt for his glasses. Gone!

Harry frantically searched the cell floor, on his hands and knees groping through the dirty straw looking. His hands encountered a twisted wreck of glass shards and wire. His flailing had thrown them from his face, and he had stepped on them in his delirium. He sat cradling his glasses, tears of anger running from his eyes for some time.

_Hermione finished cleaning Hedwig's cage. She was worried about the normally majestic snowy owl. She was usually full of life and would gladly carry mail for her. Ever since Harry had disappeared she had become more and more lifeless. Her feathers were dull, and she was molting faster than she could grow new ones._

"_Do you want an owl treat, girl? I know you miss Harry. We all do. I wish you could talk. I'm sure you know where he is."_

_Hermione had tried sending letters to Harry a couple times, but ever since Hedwig had returned from the last attempt badly injured, she had dared not try again. Hagrid had said the injuries had looked like they were inflicted by other birds. Little did Hermione know, but the seagulls around Azkaban were charmed to attack any mail owls that were not Ministry sent. Hedwig had valiantly tried to get to her master, but the sheer numbers of seagulls drove her back._

"_Don't worry. I won't give up, and I know you won't. We will find Harry, and bring us back together again."_

_Hedwig turned to look into Hermione's eyes and shared what could only be a weak smile of the soul._

Dementors were another treat for Harry. They seemed to randomly patrol the hallways. Harry had tried to protect himself with Occlumency a few times. As he had finally gathered the peace he needed to empty out the voices, cries and screams in his mind, they would flock to his cell. Once, Harry had tried to talk to them when they came to his cell. He had promised them his deepest, happiest memories if the would let him out. He cried and begged only to be ignored.

He refused to stop trying. Some days he would get some relief. Other days, he would attempt his exercises, and be swallowed up by the screams of his mother as the monsters descended into his mind.

_The last day of July had become a quiet time around the Burrow. The whole family, with the exception of Percy, always spent the night at the Burrow. Molly and Arthur would quietly make supper. Dessert was always treacle tart. _

_Ron and Ginny were out by the pond, looking at the makeshift Quidditch pitch that they had played many a pickup game in. Fred and George joined them just as the sun was going down. _

"_We've got something special for everyone tonight. Mom and Dad will be along in a minute with the others."_

_The Weasleys had gathered along the shore of the pond. Arthur looked at his normally mischievous sons and nodded his head. "Go ahead boys."_

_Fred raised his wand, gave it a flick and sudden poke towards the small package they had placed on the other side of the pond. A pencil thin blue light shot across and struck the bundle._

_A flash of light made the Weasleys blink and cover their eyes for a moment. Then, in the sky, a golden Seeker could be seen streaking though the sky in a lightning bolt pattern. The fireworks gradually faded into the night._

_Molly's face was wet with shed tears. She stood at the edge of the pond long after everyone else went in, until the chill night air forced her in for the night._

When Harry woke from having visions of his friends, he felt a lingering peace. It seldom lasted through the day, but they were cherished. At least until the Dementors came. At other times, Harry would wake from a vision, only to wish he could die. They would be so horrible that he would sit on the floor; his legs clutched to him, and stare at the window while rocking back and forth in an effort to drive the nightmares from his memory.

*********** WARNING ***********

"_My Lord, everything is prepared for tonight's festivities." _

_Wormtail cowered on the floor in front of Voldemort. Ever since Potter had disappeared, the Dark Lord had been in a foul mood. He was freely using Crucio on his death eaters. Several had died._

"_Good. Don't let anything ruin tonight or you will become the entertainment. Now, let us start."_

_Wormtail yanked on a silken bell pull. A long lonely bell tolled into the darkness. The double door at the end of the room opened and several fully uniformed Death Eaters came though. Supported on a large platter was a steaming haunch of meat. The silent bearers placed the platter on a nearby table and slowly backed away. The almost sweet smell of the cooked meat permeated the room._

_Voldemort's eyes were shining in the dim room, almost as if lit from within. He rose from his throne, and strode to the table. With a swift graceful flick, he cut a slice from the roast. He chewed and swallowed, a thoughtful look on his face. He swung around and returned to his throne._

"_Excellent. I was unsure if you would find a 12 year old witch in time for All Hollow's Eve."_

*********** END WARNING ***********

Harry lost track of time. He would feel like he had surfaced from a deep dark place, only to discover many days worth of meals rotting on the floor in front of the door to his cell. As time passed, he would have longer and longer periods of lucid thought where he would stare at the door with a single thought running through his mind.

'Have they forgotten me yet?'

Strangely, the dementors left him alone during his lucid periods. Harry had not felt a dementor for several weeks. Perhaps they had left to join Voldemort?

During one of his long contemplative periods, Harry looked over at the door of his cell as he heard an odd sound. One he had not heard for a long time. Was that a voice on the other side of the door?!

"Oi! Gimme tha' can o' oil. This one's right stuck!" The wood creaked and with a sudden **crack**, Harry's cell door popped out of its frame. The door slowly creaked open as it was pulled open.

A grimy face peered into the spartan cell. Harry was huddled into his nest in fear. What was going on?

"You there! Come out o' there! We gotta get ya down to the boat 'fore it leaves!"


	3. Reborn

Chapter 3

Lucius Malfoy tossed the scrap of parchment he had been reading into the fire. His perpetual sneer firmly in place, he contemplated the rewards he would reap for turning over potter to the Dark Lord after so many years. Lucius reclined on the chair and remembered the path that led him to the position he sat in now.

_Shortly after disposing of Potter, Minister Fudge had called him into his office._

"_AH! Lucius! So good to see you! Thank you for coming. I know how dreadfully full your schedule is."_

_Malfoy sketched a bow. "I am always available for our esteemed politicians."_

"_Yes. About that." Fudge looked somewhat pale, almost as if he was under the weather. "It seems there are rumblings in the Wizengamot that there have been some…ahem…. inappropriate dealings going on. I do not need to point this out to you that this puts my re-election in jeopardy."_

_Lucius fought back the scorn he felt for the puppet before him. How easy it was to manipulate the man! He had planted the seeds of the rumor a few weeks ago, and had been softly prodding Fudge for an appointment to one of the Ministry's open positions for several days._

"_I believe it would be in our best interests to bolster the internal support for my leadership by adding someone who I know is above this petty backstabbing. Lucius, I am prepared to offer you the Governorship of Azkaban. Now, understand, as this is an appointed position there is little real power within the ministry that comes with it. You would simply be responsible for managing the island's employees, reporting on the prisoners, and submitting a budget for each year."_

_Malfoy placed a look of shock on his face. He marveled at how transparent the man was. It would be easy to rip him from power when the time came._

"_Of course, Minister. I humbly accept the position." Lucius thought of the people he would free for the dark Lord. By bringing some of his followers back within his control, any suspicions that Malfoy knew where Potter was would be deflected._

_Fudge's face flushed with relief. He knew that Malfoy would not let him be ousted from power. They had had too good of an arrangement in the past. "Excellent! Now, after this afternoon's Wizengamot session, We shall have a celebratory drink!"_

_Lucius again bowed, allowing his hair to fall over his face and hide the snarl that erupted from his lips._

Malfoy knew that Potter was to be released today. He had planned the situation out carefully. Then while Potter was still trying to adjust to being free his minions could swoop in, and kill him. Lord Voldemort would be pleased with his performance, as long as he never found out that Lucius knew where Potter had been these past years.

Lucius looked at the large grandfather clock in the corner of his office. The hand clicked over and the bell tolled five mournful times.

* * *

Harry looked around the small town of Yarrow. The town's namesake grew in large patches along the main roadway. He had been dropped off of the boat at the docks, and left to fend for himself. The first thing he had done was to scurry to one of the shadows underneath a rotting set of nets and barrels beside the dock and tuck out of sight. His mind was awash in sensations that he had never dreamed he would ever feel again. He gawked around trying to straighten his thoughts.

The village boasted a dock that was sadly in need of repair. The largest building was probably a pub with a few rooms to rent above. Next to it was a small church with a diminutive rectory beside it. The rest of the buildings seemed to be small cottages, many with their own garden plot in the yard. A healthy man could walk across this village in two minutes.

Harry's head snapped to the side in surprise as he heard some of the village's mothers calling in their children for the evening. His eyes followed the children's noisy escapades across the village's main road. He squinted in an effort to make out faces, but from this distance, it was useless. In his memory Harry saw fleeting indistinct images of a bushy haired girl standing with a smiling group of red-headed people.

A silence settled over the village. Harry's indecision was crippling. His mind shrieked at him that this wasn't real, that he was hallucinating in his cell still. But the sounds, smells and the rough feel of the nets and wood under his hands anchored him in the now.

Two muffled cracks sounded from the dock area behind Harry. He froze as voices washed over him.

"Why are we in this ruddy little slum? I think Malfoy has finally gone right barking mad!"

The second man shook his head in disagreement. "He's just as sly as he was when he was in school. He sends us out on a 'Potter Hunt' just like the thousand other wild goose chases we've been on looking for the brat. When we fail, he blames us. If… and that's a big 'if', we succeed, he takes the glory. Either way, we lose if we don't even try."

Harry's stomach tightened. Even after all this time he could recognize the voices of the elder Crabbe and Goyle. His brain was on fire with the instinct to flee, but he knew the moment he moved they would see him. It was as if he was back in Azkaban. The dementors were outside his door, and if he couldn't clear his mind, they would turn their soul draining power on him.

Harry's mind locked into a vicious circle of flee or hide. His vision tunneled down to a pin-point, and the ringing in his ears drowned out anything the two Death Eaters were saying. His awareness lost its focus and he was floating in calm.

_Perhaps this is what people felt when hit by an Avada Kedavra? Am I dead?_

"Quiet! I think I hear something!" Crabbe drew his wand. With it at the ready, he advanced up the dock towards the small shore. Goyle followed a few steps behind.

As they approached Harry's hiding spot, Crabbe and Goyle could hear a strange low rumbling sound come from the netting. Goyle stopped and said,"Great job! You've cornered a mutt! Kill it before it bites us."

The being that was normally known as Harry Potter tensed its muscles. Its eyes glowed with an inner fire that was almost malevolent. It had formed several times before when his brother had been threatened by the dementors. Because it had no real memories, the dementors would leave after only a few minutes. Each time it had been summoned, the being had been able to muster more and more power from Harry's reserves, but how to use it? Harry wouldn't need it. He couldn't use it anymore. The early dementor visits had made sure of that.

The creature sifted through Harry's memories. It stopped on one and examined it in detail. It could see a tall greasy haired man shouting, "Clear your mind!" and then delving into Harry's innermost memories for the most terrifying, humiliating ordeals it could find. The creature saw how it could use this "legilimency" to delay an attack for the instant it would need.

It had been born of the need to survive, the want to not have to deal with the darker parts of Harry's life. Its only drive was to care for Harry. He was Harry's righteous guardian in mind, body and soul. He was akin to the angel Ezekial in purpose, action and name.

Gathering its self, almost like a panther readying for a kill, he waited for the right moment. Ezekial was pitiless, and would stop at almost nothing to protect Harry. He insinuated a tendril of thought into Crabbe's mind, looking for something that would give him pause.

Locked away deep in a dark niche, Ezekial found a childhood memory. As with most children's fears, this one was deep seated, and still very real to the man before him. The monster under the bed, what's in my closet, strange sounds made by the house at night all rolled up into a gibbering nightmare.

Crabbe could see light reflecting from the eyes of the mongrel hiding in the junk. He pointed his wand at the netting and drew a breath, only to let it loose as a scream. The pile of refuse had burst with something from the pits of hell. All he could see was death come to take him.

Ezekial's hand snatched the wand away from Crabbe. He spun around the man's immobile body and snapped eyes into contact with Goyle. As he completed the turn, Ezekial slammed his fist into the back of Crabbe's neck, and broke the wand held in the other.

Goyle gazed into twin pools of power. He had never seen such a focused gaze before except on his Dark Lord, Voldemort. His long time partner's unconscious body slumped to the ground like a marionette whose stings had been cut.

Without a second thought, Goyle squeezed the pendant that hung around his neck He vanished with a blaze of lingering energy from a port key. A split second later, Crabbe's spasming body disappeared also.

Ezekial surveyed the dock, carefully listening to see if he had been spotted. Not even a dog was barking. Nothing remained to threaten his brother. His stomach rumbled and he felt a wave of giddiness that reminded him that his job was not yet finished. The energy he had used to protect Harry was almost the last of the reserves. He relaxed his grip on the power and turned to the small rectory.

He raised his hand and weakly knocked on the door. An older man, well groomed and wearing decent clothes answered the door.

"Yes, who is it?"

The man stepped back from Ezekial in surprise for a moment. He surveyed Harry's pathetic state and wrinkled his brow in concentration.

"Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?"

Ezekial looked up at the man. Their eyes connected for a moment and he found no scorn, instead it was a true feeling of concern for his well being. He opened his mouth and said, "Please. I need help."

Smells and warmth washed over his body as the door closed. His vision had narrowed down to a tunnel. He could rest now that Harry was safe.

"You're looking pale, are you going to faint?" Ezekial gazed at the man holding his arm and saw the first smile he'd ever seen. Then, the world went black.

* * *

Lucius was a tower of rage. The two idiots had managed to completely foul up the simplest of things! Kill a man who had been tortured for the past ten years. No fuss, no complicated plans. Just point and shoot.

"I will have the two of you flayed and thrown into a pit full of rats! I will give you one chance to fix your mistake. If you can't, don't bother coming back to me alive! Now get out!"

Crabbe and Goyle cowered from Malfoy. They had tried to explain the paralyzing fear that the thing had caused, but when they tried to explain, it had sounded completely fabricated.

"And gentlemen? If one word of this gets out, I will personally tell the Dark Lord about your Friday night …. entertainments. Do we have an understanding?"

Both men paled and nodded. The rushed out of the office towards the Ministry apparition point.

Lucius Malfoy was a true Slytherin. He had gathered blackmail information on anyone he could, and used it fully to his advantage. Crabbe and Goyle had been one of the easiest pairs to get enough information on to subvert to his own needs. The two buffoons would go to London on Friday nights and go into the muggle night clubs. While they were there, they would pretend to be gangsters, and pick up muggle women for their beds. The best part was that they were wont to calling themselves part of the "Riddle Gang". Voldemort wouldn't even think twice about killing the two if he found out.

Malfoy say at his desk and contemplated his next step. He wouldn't depend on the two idiots for finding Potter. It was too risky. Lucius sat forward and began to make a list of the locations Potter was likely to visit now that he was out.

* * *

Harry felt warm. He was covered with something soft, much softer than his nest in the cell. Slowly, he could sense more and more things. His face felt cool, as if the beard he had grown while in the prison was missing. He was lying on something that was soft and comfortable. There was a rhythmic sound that was gradually coming into focus as his mind climbed out of the dream world.

Harry slowly opened his eyes. His body ached horribly, and his muscles screamed anytime he tried to move. There were tubes attached to his arms, and something stuck to his chest that had wires running from it to a machine next to his bed.

With a sluggish dawning, Harry realized he was in a muggle hospital. With careful movements, he found the call button pinned to his bed sheets by his hand. He squeezed the control and waited.

A few minutes later, a young lady entered the room. She was dressed in a nurses uniform, confirming Harry's guess. She picked up the clipboard attached to the end of the bed, and checked a couple of things off. The she came to the bedside and looked at Harry's face.

"Where am I?" Harry rasped out.

"You're at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London. We've been treating you for severe malnutrition, dehydration, and exhaustion. Can you tell me your name?"

Harry looked at the woman's face. He knew he couldn't tell her his real name. They would find his records from when he had been here with a broken arm as a little boy. That would just open him up to being found and losing the small amount of control he had on his life now.

"James Black."

The nurse smiled. She wrote the name down on a pad of paper, and then on the clipboard.

"Okay, James. We're going to bring in some broth for you to eat. Do you think you can manage that? The physician will be by later in the day to speak to you and give you a look over now that you're awake."

"Thank you, Miss. Could I have something for the aches?"

"I can bring you Tylenol, but that's all until Dr. Brown can see you."

"That would be fine. How long have I been here? How did I get here?"

"You arrived by air ambulance three days ago. The priest at the Yarrow Parish called for it. The parish paid for the transport. You are a lucky young man. The Accident and Emergency doctors said if you had been left without treatment any later your heart would have stopped and you would have died. Now, rest some more. I'm going to change your I.V. bags and have that broth brought in."

Harry relaxed into the bed. He felt odd not having to think about Dementors, or freezing to death in his cell. He swore to himself that someday he would go back to the parish that had saved his life and repay them for helping him.

As the nurse was leaving the room, Harry asked, "Umm.. What's the date? I seem to have lost track of it."

"Sunday, September 10th, 2006."

Harry's stomach fell. He had been in Azkaban for ten years. No one had come looking for him for ten years. His eyes filled with tears, and he silently wept for the time he had lost.

**Author's Notes**

I had some things come up while writing this chapter, and it turned out to be shorter than I had planned. I refuse to hammer out some crappy chapter just to get it done. While this is not the best I could do, I am satisfied it follows along with the general outline I've created for the story.

Please, keep the reviews coming in! As I'm sure you can tell, I don't have my story beta'd, so these are raw writings. Any comments, both positive and negative are welcome. How can I improve if I don't have feedback?

For all of you who are enjoying the story so far, thank you. I hope I can keep your interest with the upcoming chapters!


	4. Banker's Hours

Chapter 4

Harry carefully stepped into the second hand clothes that had been left for him. His stay at the hospital was at an end, and he was being released. It had taken two weeks of close care by the men and women at St. Bartholomew's to bring him back to a state that he wouldn't collapse after walking from his bed to the loo.

Harry had spent most of his time sleeping and attending physical therapy sessions to rebuild the damaged muscles left over from his malnutrition. His last session had included paper with a daily regime that he needed to pursue to continue to building up of his bones and muscles. He had not experienced any nightmares while he was in the hospital, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to deal with those again.

Harry finished buttoning up his shirt, and carefully balanced on one leg while he tied first one shoe then the other. As he set his foot back down on the floor, the nurse who had first talked to him when he woke up came into the room.

"James! I hear they've judged you fit to leave! You weren't going to just go without saying goodbye, were you?"

Harry smiled. He had found out her name was Mary Walker. She was the senior nurse for the floor, and didn't often get a chance to deal directly with the patients. However, she had found the young man in this room to be fascinating.

It was painfully apparent that he had been through some terrible things, simply from the scars on his body. From the shape and placement, Mary was sure the ones on his back were from a belt. The ones on his hands and face were probably self-inflicted, but had healed a long time ago. It was amazing he was as gentle as he was with what he must have seen and been through. Several times, through his therapy, she had sensed a core strength that was hidden. The man before her had some serious demons he needed to work through.

Mary handed Harry a small envelope and a small plastic case. She smiled when Harry gave her a curious look.

"It's a few pounds that the nurses and doctors put together. It's not a lot, but it will get you to a shelter for the night. We've also found some old glasses that someone's son outgrew a few years ago. The ophthalmologist has put in your prescription for you."

Harry's eyes filled with unshed tears. "Thanks. I wasn't sure what I was going to do."

Mary folded Harry into a tight hug. She stepped back and gave him one last once over.

"Now I don't want to see you back in here again. Go and get yourself a job, and settle in. I know it sounds hard now, but all you need to do it work at it, don't lose hope and everything else will follow."

"I will. Thank you, Mary. You've been a beacon of bright hope for me. If there's anything I can do for you…." Harry trailed off, not knowing how he would make good on the promise.

Mary shook her head and brushed an imaginary piece of dirt from his shoulder. "You just watch out for yourself. With all of the terrorist attacks we've had, the Bobbies are being pretty unrelenting."

Harry inwardly flinched at hearing this. He knew from watching the evening news on the telly that Voldemort had continued his march to power. The muggles didn't have a clue what they were facing. Harry was sure Tom had thoroughly infiltrated the muggle government as well as the wizard one while he had been in Azkaban.

"I will. It's getting late in the day. I need to get to a shelter before they fill up. Take care of yourself, Mary."

Harry turned and left the room. He walked through the halls, waving his goodbyes to the staff who had brought him back to health. He stopped in the lobby for a moment and asked the front desk to call a cab for him. When it arrived he got into the back. The cabbie turned and looked at him with a critical eye.

"I'm going to need to see your money before we can go anywhere, son."

Harry flashed the small wad of money he had in his pocket and said, "Charing Cross Road, near the Thames, please."

The cabby nodded and turned in his seat. He looked at Harry through in the mirror. "Right you are, Sir. That's about a twenty minute drive at this time of day. If you want to kip off for a bit, I'll let you know when we get close."

Harry gave a weak smile back and relaxed into the seat. His eyes were closed a few minutes later.

Harry was wakened by the cabby a few minutes before arriving at Charing Cross. He saw the sign for the Leaky Cauldron go past, and asked to be let out on the next corner. Once the cabby had been paid and left, Harry stood on the corner looking at the door into the wizarding pub with a long face. He knew he had to get through so he could get into Diagon Alley, but was unsure how to do it without being recognized.

His new glasses were somewhat similar to his old ones, but larger, and fit his face better. He carefully took them off, and placed them back into the plastic protective case. His anonymity far outweighed any gain from being able to see clearly in this case.

His hair was still the mess it had always been, but now has streaks of grey through it. The doctors had told him the period of malnutrition he had gone through likely damaged the follicles, and he would be prematurely grey for the rest of his life. Little did Harry know, but the passage of ten years, and the changes that had ravaged his youthful appearance had made him almost unrecognizable by sight.

He blew out a breath and walked steadily towards the pub. This area of town had normally been quite busy in Harry's youth. With a large number of the terrorist acts happening occurring in the neighborhood around the Leaky Cauldron, it had become much less populated.

Harry pulled open the door and walked in. The Leaky Cauldron still looked the same as it had ten years ago. There were some new stains on the floor, and Tom was still behind the bar, polishing glasses with a cloth.

Old Tom looked up as Harry entered the pub, but quickly looked back down at his hands after identifying the new person as no threat to his business. Harry walked in a steady pace to the small courtyard in back. The brick wall stood in imposing silence. Harry didn't have a wand, and wasn't sure how he was going to get through. He looked around the ground for some idea.

"Great. There's got to be a way to get through this without having to ask for someone's help. How did Hagrid do it again?"

Harry spied a small twig pushed into the corner. He picked it up and shrugged his shoulders. "Might as well try."

He tapped the bricks in the correct order. As he touched the last one, he could feel his blood boil and a pressure built behind his eyes. Harry had closed his eyes at the last tap, willing it to work. The twig burst into flame and the bricks slowly ground out of the way. He dropped the flaming brand and quickly stepped on it to put out the flame.

"Well. I didn't expect **that** to happen!"

The usual wall of sound and sights that normally hit him as he stepped through was absent. Harry looked around to see only a few people going about their business. Where there were usually hundreds of wizards and witches thronging the alley was an empty space.

Harry walked slowly down one side of the alley, peering at the many shops that had "Closed" and "For Rent" signs on them. He slowly approached Gringott's. The crooked building was much the same, with two main differences. The first was the three armed goblin guards that were standing on the steps of the bank. They eyed each and every being that walked past the bank. The second change was the revolving door that had replaced the old doors. They seemed to be made of glass and steel, but had a strange shimmer to them as they turned.

Harry ascended the steps and was stopped by one of the guards.

"Step into the vestibule and proceed forward until it stops. Have your wand ready for surrender before you enter the bank. It will be returned to you when you leave. If you fail to follow the Gringott's entry procedure, you will be dealt with harshly."

"What if I don't have a wand, Sir?"

"The vestibule will allow you entry as long as you have no magical focuses on your person. Please move along."

Harry entered the revolving door, and pushed through to the lobby of the bank. The long rows of tellers were still in place, and the security goblins eyed him carefully as he entered. Harry smiled. Goblins never change.

He approached one of the open tellers and waited to be recognized.

"How can Gringotts help you today, Sir?"

"How do I go about getting a replacement key if I've lost mine?"

The goblin's face turned sour as he spat back, "Lost?! How could you lose it?"

"It was seized when I was arrested. They never gave it back. I know Gringotts would never allow the ministry to enter my vault, but I don't have my key either. Is there someone I have to speak to?"

"There will be a 50 galleon fee for replacement of the key. Can you afford it?"

"Once I have access to my vault I will be able to, yes."

The goblin placed a small "Closed" sign on his desk and motioned for Harry to follow. They walked down a hallway to a small unremarkable door. The goblin opened it and ushered Harry inside. "A manager will be by shortly to help you. Do not leave the room."

A short wait later, another goblin entered the office. He moved the desk and sat down.

"In order for us to identify your vault and re-issue a key, there are a few things we need to do. While not a lengthy process, it is intensive and tends to be invasive. Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

"Sir, of all the beings I have dealt with in my life, the goblins have always held my trust. Yours is one of the few magical species that I know will keep their word. If you tell me here and now that what is revealed will not leave the room, I easily place myself into your care."

As Harry spoke, the goblins eyebrows rose until his eyes were wide with shock. Never before had a wizard spoke as such to a goblin. "Sir, I swear an oath to you that your privacy will be maintained, by my blood if need be."

"Good enough for me. If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

"Groguld, Sir. Now, we will begin with you telling me your full name?" He poised a quill above a piece of parchment, ready to take down any information.

"Harry James Potter."

Groguld looked up from writing. He glanced up at Harry's forehead in an effort to see the famous scar, but was unable to identify it among all of the others on his face. "Ahhh, Mr….Potter. We will be using some veritaserum to confirm that." He handed a small vial to Harry and waited for him to swallow the three drops.

Harry felt his mind go fuzzy. He had never been under the effects of veritaserum before, and didn't know what to expect. His eyes lost their focus, and he could feel a roiling black knot of fear and magic just under the surface of his consciousness. It was an odd feeling. Almost….. familiar and disturbing at the same time. Harry wondered if he let go of the leash he held on the boiling mass, would he be able to break the hold of the veritaserum? He took a deep breath and made an effort to focus on Groguld.

"What is your real name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"What happened to your vault key, Mr. Potter?"

"The ministry took it with the rest of my items when they arrested me. I don't know what happened to it after that." The goblin scribbled down the information on the sheet of parchment.

Groguld waited in silence for the next five minutes. As the potion wore off, Harry's eyes came back into focus and the boiling black mass receded back into his mind.

"Mr. Potter. I only need one more thing from you. We require a spot of blood on this parchment to confirm you are truly who you say you are. There is a small letter opener on the desk which you may use."

Groguld slid the official looking Gringotts parchment over to Harry and indicated a small signature line at the bottom. Harry quickly poked his finger and squeezed out a drop of blood. As the scarlet orb hit the paper, it flowed out and into an exact replica of his signature.

A small footnote appended to the bottom of the paper. Groguld glanced through the new text and set the paper down. "It appears, Mr. Potter, that there is a will that was in probate when you were jailed. It has since been released, and with you here, we can execute it."

Flashes of memory hit Harry….

….Sirius singing off colour Christmas Carols….

…. receiving his Firebolt….

….speaking with Sirius though the fire….

….Sirius falling through the Veil…..

Harry's eyes were streaming tears. He turned away from the goblin in an attempt to hide his sorrow.

Groguld pulled a small velvet cord. A small bell rang outside the office. The door opened immediately. Groguld spoke to the new goblin in Gobbledegook for a moment. The other goblin ran out the door. A few minutes later he returned with a sheaf of papers, which he laid on the desk. Groguld sorted through them and carefully ignored Harry while he composed himself.

"Here we are. Mr. Sirius Black, lone heir to the Black estates and name. The gist of this will, Mr. Potter, is that he leaves everything to you with the exception of some money that went to Remus Lupin. As that portion has already been disbursed, all we have left is to transfer the holdings to your name."

"Exactly how much did Sirius have? You make it sound like he was very wealthy."

"At the time of his death, Mr. Black did not have control of his estate. His status of fugitive restricted how much he could access. Since his death, his full holdings are now accessible by his heir. Namely…..you, Mr. Potter. This includes a currently unplottable property in London, stocks and monies with a value of about 8,000 galleons, and the surname of Black. If you wish, you could legally go by either the name of Black or Potter now."

"I'm not sure what to say…. or do."

"Quite simply, Mr Potter. Nothing. It has already been taken care of. Your inheritance has been transferred to your vault. You still have access to the Black vault, but it is currently empty. Your new key will be waiting for you to pick it up as you leave the bank. I suggest you get some money, buy yourself some clothes, and find a job to occupy your time."

"Yes. Thank you, Groguld. You have been more than helpful. Please add a 20 galleon gratuity to the fee for your time and patience."

Harry got up and walked out the door. A goblin handed him a new key as he walked into the lobby. He converted a thousand galleons worth of money into pounds and left.


	5. On Your Mark

Chapter 5

Harry stepped down off the stairs to Gringotts. His mind was swimming with all of the things that had happened while he was in the bank. His hand in his pocket fingered the folded notes, and he pondered where to go now.

It was just pure luck that he had looked up towards the Leaky Cauldron at that moment. The familiar figure of Mad Eye Moody was stumping towards the bank at a hurried pace. With him were Tonks and Kingsley.

Harry hurriedly glanced around for somewhere to hide. He couldn't re-enter the bank, as he would draw unwanted attention of the guards by doing so. Across the alley stood Ollivander's. A few quick strides had him inside the store, and the door closed with a clang of the entrance bell.

Harry looked out through the window at Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley as they entered the bank. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"And how can I help you today, Sir? A wand cleaning kit perhaps?"

Harry awkwardly turned and looked at Mr. Ollivander. He hadn't changed a bit since the day Harry had gotten his Holly and phoenix feather wand.

"Err.. No. Thank you." Harry would not be able to purchase a new wand, as his last one had been broken by the court, and he did not have a letter from the Ministry permitting him to buy a new one.

"Well then, what is it I can do for you?"

Harry frantically looked around the shop for an idea. His eyes settled on the sign in the window that read "Help Wanted". He turned back to Mr. Ollivander and said, "I am here about the job posted in the window."

As soon as he said the words, Ollivander's eyebrows rose until they were almost consumed by his hairline. He gave Harry a once over and nodded his head.

"I pay weekly, and expect you to be here promptly at eight when I open the shop. Much of the work is menial, and repetitive, but I pay well. What with the school rush over, I need to replenish some of my stocks. Some people would be surprised at how many muggle goods go into each wand. Can you find your way about in London?"

Harry stood in a daze. He had not planned on getting a job in Diagon Alley, but here one was. Perhaps it was for the best. He felt somewhat overwhelmed by the rapid fire speaking of Mr. Ollivander.

"Yes. I can get around muggle London very well. I'm muggle born."

"I see. And by what name do you go by? I can just say 'Hey you!" when I need to get your attention, now can I?"

Harry felt a cold pulse come from deep within him self. It was both comforting and frightening at the same time. Ollivander prided himself on never forgetting a wand or a customer, and here he was asking for his name? His vision swam for a moment as gazed into the old shop keeper's eyes. Harry got a fleeting image of an ancient and majestic oak tree, deeply rooted. There was a crashing thunderstorm raging around the tree, but the tree was unaffected by the frenzy of the storm. He shook his head to clear it.

"James Black."

"Excellent! Now, be here tomorrow morning at the strike of eight. I will let you in the front door the first day, but you must find your way to the back every day after. Don't worry about a lunch; I have some delivered from the small deli down the street each day. I believe the Aurors are gone. On your way!"

Harry had stepped out of the shop and was halfway back to the Leaky Cauldron before Ollivander's final words filtered through his mind. He knew he had been avoiding Moody and the others! But he also had hired him. Harry shook his head in wonder at the old wand maker.

* * *

Hermione sighed and looked out the window at Hogwart's grounds. She had finished reviewing the card catalog for the library and had a few minutes of spare time before the new textbooks for the year would be arriving.

Shortly after she had graduated, Madam Pince had retired from the school. Dumbledore had offered the job to Hermione. The chance to have free reign in the restricted section was more than enough incentive. Little did she know she would also have access to the Headmaster's private library also!

The war had not gone well. The Order of the Pheonix was doing their best to contain Voldemort, but had been steadily losing ground. Madam Bones and Arthur Weasley had risked their careers several times to derail Fudge's anti-creature laws. At times Hermione cried herself to sleep, wishing it was just a horrible nightmare and that she could wake up. Many of her school mates had been killed in senseless acts of violence.

Oliver Wood had been killed when he subdued a charmed bludger, simply to keep it from harming the spectators at one of his Quidditch games. Lavender Brown was struck down by an Unforgivable as she came out of a potions shop in Diagon Alley. Seamus Finnigan bled to death from a Reducto while protecting his family. Luna Lovegood's father had died while protecting his business from fire. Luna was never the same. She was still in St. Mungo's in a catatonic state.

Professor Granger was deep in thought about the past years, and the special project she was working on. From the very time that Harry had disappeared, she had been working on a way to find him. Dumbledore's instruments showed him as alive, but couldn't locate him without being re-calibrated. The closest they could come to finding Harry had been Hedwig's almost fatal attempt just after he had disappeared.

Hermione looked over at the snowy owl. She was sleeping on her ever preset perch in the library. Hedwig refused to leave her side. Many students had gotten the fright of their lives when they thought they were in a good snogging place in the stacks, only to look up and see the deep yellow eyes staring down at them from the top of the shelves. Wherever Hedwig was, Professor Granger was sure to be close behind.

Another sigh escaped Hermione's lips as she thought of Harry. Her best friend had been missing for ten years. She and Ron were still good friends, but had never gotten any closer than sharing their feelings of loss. Ginny had married Neville four years ago, and Ron was seeing Susan Bones now. Hermione felt like an old maid. She had tried dating some wizards and even muggles, but none of them ever went any farther than a few outings.

A loud screech startled Hermione out of her daydream. Hedwig's head had snapped up from under her wing and she launched herself off of the perch. She banked sharply towards the open window and snapped her wings closed to fit though the space. Hermione jumped to her feet and yelled, "Wait! Hedwig… Is it Harry?"

She ran to the window and watched as the snowy owl spiraled up into the clouds.

Hermione smiled and let the tears in her eyes run down her face. She had always known that she was just the owl's steward, and Harry would call her back to him one day when he needed her. She kissed her fingers and tossed them towards the speck in the sky.

"Tell him I need him…."

* * *

Harry walked down the sidewalk in muggle London. He was looking at a newspaper and comparing the building addresses to a circled ad in the paper. Coming up to a small apartment building, he stopped.

The building was several stories high, much like Gimmauld Place. The front brickwork was well kept, and the sidewalk swept. Harry looked at the entrance way and found a panel with some buzzers. He pressed the one marked "Custodian".

"Yes?"

"I'm interested in the small flat you have listed in the newspaper. Would I be able to come up and see it?"

"I'll be right down to let you in. Please give me a moment to take off the kettle."

Harry straightened his hand-me-down clothes. While not the most presentable, he looked much better than when he had to wear Dudley's old cast offs. He watched the sparse traffic drive by and allowed his mind to wander some.

With his mind was focused on other thoughts, a finger of magic pulsed out from Harry's subconscious and scanned the street and surrounding buildings. No magic was sensed. The neighborhood was decidedly muggle. Safe.

The door swung open and an older woman smiled out from behind the security gate. She seemed to be in her late seventies, and the smell of cooking bread hugged her like a shawl.

"Hello? My name is Olivia. My husband and I take care of the building."

"James Black. Pleased to meet you, Ma'am."

Olivia popped open the security gate and gestured him inside. She closed the gate behind him and double checked the latch. "You can't be too careful with all of the troubles lately. Seems like only yesterday you could find young couples walking down the streets hand in hand for an evening stroll. Not anymore. Please, come upstairs. The flat is on the top floor."

The pair walked up the stairs and came to a door at the end of the hallway. The flat was in the back corner of the building. Olivia pushed open the door so Harry could enter. It was a three room affair. The main room had a sitting area, with a small one person kitchen. There was a bedroom and bathroom off of it. Harry looked around, and poked his head into the closet in the bedroom. It smelled clean and looked immaculate.

"I think it would be perfect for me, Olivia. How would you like me to pay?"

"We use a direct payment account. I'll give you some papers to take to your bank, and the rent will be directly deposited into the building accounts. It's much safer for all this way, as there isn't any money in the building then."

"I believe I can set that up. It may take me several days to arrange, though."

"I don't believe that will be a problem Mr. Black. I have a good ability at being able to read people, and you seem like a trustworthy sort. When would you like to move in? The flat is available anytime."

"Please, call me James. Would tomorrow be too soon? I just got back into London and am staying in a hotel until I can get a place of my own."

"That's fine, James. Would you like some tea? I have a pot steeping as we speak. We can sign the papers afterwards."

Harry gave Olivia a warm smile. "That sounds lovely."


	6. Get Ready

Harry returned to the Leaky Cauldron. The rest of his day had been filled with buying a few pieces of furniture for his new home and some new muggle clothes.

He entered the pub and looked around. There were only a few wizards and witches eating their supper. Harry could remember when the pub would be packed to overflowing with people drinking and eating. That was before.

He approached Tom at the bar and set down his new backpack. Harry carefully placed five galleons on the counter. Tom looked at the money then glanced up at his face. Harry looked Tom in the eye and spoke.

"I need a room for the night. I trust your guest list is kept confidential?"

Tom looked onto the bottomless green stare. He had only ever seen a gaze like that on one other person. His mouth gaped for a moment. Harry had been a guest of his many years ago. The Boy-Who-Lived had been a courteous and thoughtful lad, who had always had a kind word for Tom and his two employees. Tom had gained a lot of respect for the boy those weeks. Now, he was man, standing in front of him and asking for anonymity. His mouth snapped shut and his hand swiped the coins off the counter and into his apron pocket.

"I don't have no guests tonight. Best you try looking somewhere else." He turned away, then turned back and placed a key beside a bottle of butterbeer on the counter. Tom quickly glanced at the staircase and then turned away.

Harry picked up the items, collected his backpack and made his way up the stairs as he was taking a deep pull off the bottle. He got to the first floor with rooms and looked at the key that Tom had given him. Stamped on the shank was a large "11". Looking up, Harry saw a familiar door. It was the same room he had stayed in so long ago. He opened the lock and stepped in.

The room hadn't change since he had been here last time. The fire was laid, and ready to be lit, the bed made nicely. Harry locked the door, and set the empty bottle of butterbeer on the bedside table. Setting his backpack down on the bed, he sat down with a sigh.

The day was almost over, and he was tired. There had been moments during the day when he felt like he was being tossed around in the currents of his life and he was going to break. His vision would swim, but then he would feel a protective presence flow around him. Once, when he had opened his eyes, he had noticed a circle of about 20 feet around him in the crowded mall was empty. People would walk around him standing there, as if there was a glass wall surrounding him. Once he had felt calm again, the crown had swallowed him up as if nothing strange had happened.

Harry shook his head, "I must be overtired. Tomorrow will be another hard day! Better get some sleep before I head to Ollivander's."

He quickly got ready for bed and fell asleep immediately.

_Hedwig soared across the sky. Her master's presence was strong, much stronger than it had been since he left. Her body told her it needed some food and rest, but she was driven by the need to find Harry and be there for him. _

_Hedwig was much more than just a mail owl. She was smart, and had a strong personality. The bond with her owner went beyond the master-pet level. It was a friendship. The wizarding world's term would be a "familiar"._

_The countryside flowed beneath her eyes as she scanned for an opportunity to snatch a snack from a hiding spot in the grass. A flash of movement was all she needed to zero in. A miniscule patch of grey among the green and yellow grass! Her wings folded to he sides and she streamlined the flow of air across her body. Her talons stretched out and protective membranes snapped across her eyes protecting them from the wind, yet allowed her to see. Barely a whisper of sound kissed the the air as she completed the stoop on the mouse. Hedwig landed on a nearby fencepost and dined on the rodent. _

_Her hunger sated, she flew to a nearby barn, and found a resting place in the rafters. Her eyes closed and she slept._

Harry woke with a start. The small wind up alarm clock he had bought the day before was making its morning clamor. He turned off the alarm and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember the dream he had been having. He had not dreamed while he slept for many months and it was strangely refreshing.

With a quick shake of his head to clear out the last of the cobwebs, Harry went about his morning necessities. After he was showered and dressed, he picked up all of his possessions, and left some sickles on the night stand for the maid's trouble.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and listened for voices below. Nothing come from the main floor except the smell from last night's supper grease. Harry took a deep breath and swept down the stairs and out the door to Diagon Alley.

The archway was open still from the morning rush of the shopkeepers to open their stores. Harry strode through and down the narrow alley towards Ollivander's.

He looked at the watch he had purchased the day before. 7:55. He smiled in anticipation of the day. Ollivander had always been a little creepy, but had never felt threatening to Harry. Just the chance to do something besides rot in his cell was all Harry wanted.

The door lock snapped back and the sign was flipped. Harry saw Ollivander's hand motioning him into the store through the window. He pushed open the door and walked in.

"I'm glad to see you were here on time. The last lout I employed was taken to being late and drunk when he showed up. Pity what happened to him."

"Ahh….erm, what happened to him?"

Ollivander stopped his puttering and looked at Harry. "I fired him! What did you think had happened to him, hmmm?" Ollivander's face broke into a smile. Harry blushed and smiled back. He had been caught in a jest by the storekeeper. It felt…. odd after all these years.

"Now, James. I have a delivery that you need to pick up in muggle London. It's a few blocks away at the post station. You will need to provide this letter of authority to pick it up, and I advise you to take the trolley in the back room with you to roll it back here. It may be somewhat heavy." Ollivander handed a sheaf of papers to Harry.

Harry headed towards the doorway that had indicated.

"One more thing, Mr. Black? Whatever you do, don't open the box. It might not be… healthy."

* * *

Harry pushed the small trolley through the archway into Diagon Alley. He stopped and stretched while rubbing his lower back. The box had to weigh at least eight stone! Harry was curious to see what was inside.

He moved the trolley to the side of the alley and allowed the archway to close behind him. After catching his breath, Harry put his shoulder to the back of the box and started his way across the cobble stone paving towards Ollivander's. Every rattle and bump of the wheels over the stones jarred his sore muscles.

Stopping about half way to the wand maker's shop, Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead. He leaned against the box and thought about the nice hot bath he was going to take when he got home that night. His eyes wandered around as he contemplated the luxurious feeling the steaming hot water would have on his sore muscles. His eyes settled upon a faded wizarding poster that was attached to the dividing wall in between two stores. Squinting to make out the discolored script, he read the large print at the top:

"Missing. Anyone who has any information regarding the boy pictured below, please contact Fred or George Weasley either by owl post, or in person at the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes shop, Diagon Alley. Any being with information leading to the location of the person below will receive a 500 galleon reward."

Harry's eyes widened as he read the poster. Giving a quick look around to see if anyone was paying any attention to him, he stepped closer to make out the photograph on the poster. Below the faded script was a picture of him in his Gryffindor robes, performing a perfect Wronski Feint. Harry could feel the preservation charm on the poster, and knew that for it to be this washed out it had to have been exposed to the weather for at least 5 years!

"Hey! You! Move this piece of junk away from the front of my store! You're blocking what few customers I do get!"

Harry stumbled back to his delivery. His mind was spinning at the realization that Fred and George had never given up on him. The possibility that they hadn't known where he had been the last ten years hadn't occurred to Harry until now. He pushed the box on its trolley slowly towards Ollivander's store as he reflected on these new possibilities.

He was just around the corner from the wand shop when a heavily booted foot came down on the front of the trolley, stopping it in place. Harry wiped the sweat from his eyes and looked up at the two wizards.

The two were dressed in auror uniforms. The one with his boot on the front of the trolley had a name tag that read, "B. Aubrey". His partner was none other than Marcus Flint. Harry hadn't seen them eyeing him and his delivery from the entrance to Knockturn Alley. His mind had been focused on the poster he had seen up the street.

"Now, where d'you think you're going? I haven't seen you around here before. And why aren't you using magic to move this box? "

The two auror's faces were twisted into sneers as they looked over their current victim.

"I asked you a question! What are you doing here? Do you have any paperwork for that muggle import?"

Harry could barely hear him. The sight of the auror uniform had sparked his mind to play through his arrest and trial. Images of the auror who had broken his wand flew in front of his eyes. The smirking face from his memory overlapped with the snarling on in front of him, and in a small voice he said, "I know you."

Aubrey frowned at this unexpected response to his questions. He studied the scarred man's face in front of him, trying to place him in his memory.

Harry's mind boiled. The shock of seeing the man who had destroyed his wand was too much after an already trying day. With a twitch, Harry's consciousness fell into oblivion.

Aubrey and Flint watched in amazement as the man before them seemed to shake like a dog shedding water. Aubrey finally managed to place the face. It was Potter! He could barely tell, but the eyes were what stuck a chord in his memory.

Ezekial had been watching and waiting for if his brother needed him. He had been aware of everything that had been happening around Harry since he had been fully born the day of their release from Azkaban. The only true rest Ezekial got was when they slept. But his job was to protect and guard Harry. He would do so no matter what it took.

With a flick of the wrist, the Flint snapped his wand into his hand. Aubrey had taken a step back as he realized who it was standing in front of him.

Ezekial swept the alley magically and found a strong line of magical force. Diagon Alley was not just placed randomly it seemed. There was a major ley line running the length of the street. Akin to splicing into a garden hose, Ezekial tapped the power running along the magical conduit and drew heavily. He felt Harry's reserves fill within moments.

Flint and Aubrey had brought up their wands. Time seemed to slow for Ezekial. He could see the magical forces forming around the wands in the two auror's hands as the spells focused. All that was needed to cast the spells was the spoken intent of the incantation.

"Stupify!"

"Reducto!"

A quick squat and flex of Harry's legs, coupled with the smallest of magical pushes, and Ezekial was dodging the spells that had been fired his way. He rolled to a stop a few meters to the right of the aurors. The last ten years of terrorizing wizards and witches had conditioned Flint and Aubrey to be formidable opponents. Their wands had tracked Ezekial, but not until after he had moved. Two more spells had been flung at him as he landed.

There was no time to dodge, and the power of both the spells would blast through a Protego Shield. Ezekial tossed a line of power into the ground, and quickly built a funnel of power in front of himself. He had created something like a lightning rod, but built out of magic. The first spell, another Stupify, hit the magical conduit and flashed as it was directed into the cobbles at the auror's feet. The flash of the cobble vaporizing from the sudden influx of power was much like an explosion.

The second spell, a diffindo, was not completely stopped by the conduit. The edge of the spell caught Harry on the left bicep, cutting him nearly to the bone. Instantly, the dust on the ground started to turn in to red mud.

The two aurors had been tossed to the ground. Flint was semi-conscious and struggling to clear his head. Aubrey rolled to the left and regained his footing in a crouch. His wand snapped up into a dueling posture. He snarled as his voice formed the words of the next spell.

"Crucio!"

The red light of the spell crackled across the distance to Ezekial like a static charge. Fingers of the spell's forks played across the cobbles and the cart on its way towards its target. With a twist of his wand the spell struck Harry.

Pain flushed through Harry's body, and grayed his vision. He had never experienced pain on this level before. Frantic to be released from the incapacitating waves, Ezekial grasped at the energy coming though the spell. His thoughts raced up the channel and pierced into Aubrey's wand. The once-living dragon heart string core was pulsing with an inky black aura of power. The magical energy crackled from Aubrey, through the focus and into Ezekial.

Flint shakily got to his feet. He shook his head in an effort to clear it, and took in the situation. A malicious grin spread across his face. He brought his wand up and cast his own spell.

"Crucio!"

The twin red bolts spun around Harry's body. His muscles were straining so hard that he knew his bones would soon break. The screams coming from his mouth were shameful. Harry couldn't feel this pain now, but Ezekial was failing in his stewardship over Harry's body. Fighting through the sensory overload, he managed to connect to Flint's wand core. There, he could sense the core, a manticore hair. Ezekial channeled the raw power from the overhead let line into the cores of the two wands. He connected them to the line and opened the flood gates, allowing what little energy he had left in Harry's body to shunt down the grounding line he had made.

The power surged. A sharp hum, accompanied with a low rumble was the only warning that was heard. The two aurors were suddenly surrounded by a cage of red energy, crackling and caressing their bodies much like lovers. With a howl of surprise, Flint and Aubrey collapsed into convulsions on the cobbles. A sickly red aura surrounded them, as the two Cruciatus spells began to feedback into each other. The pitch of the noise rose to a howl.

Ezekial flicked the finger of power he had left at the trolley to move it to the front door of the Wand shop, and tucked into the entrance way. He ran after it and dove behind the turned over trolley.

The screaming aurors were swept up into a vortex; A swirling of magical energies, caused by the feedback between the two wands. It increased in velocity until a shriek of sound melded it all into a great flash.

Ezekial sat panting in the sudden silence. Harry's arm was dripping blood rhythmically onto the doorstep of the wand shop. The door opened with a tinkling of bells, and Ollivander peered down at his employee.

"Oh, come now. A young strapping lad like you is already used up? The box isn't **that** heavy… and you had a trolley!"


	7. Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 7

Harry gradually woke.

He opened his eyes to see rafters. A wave of disorientation flew through his head. The last thing he remembered was trying to push Mr. Ollivander's delivery into the Alley. Pain radiated throughout is body, starting in his bicep. A quick glance to his arm showed a large cut with a glowing web covering it.

Mr. Ollivander was puttering at his workbench, whistling under his breath. As Harry stirred, he set down his work and came over.

"Ah. Mr. Black. I see you're awake now. It seems you had a little run in with one of those muggle bike couriers. You lost quite a bit of blood in getting here with my package. I took the liberty of healing your arm and giving you some blood replenishing potion. I trust you are feeling all right now?"

Harry sat up and held his head in his hands for moment. He couldn't quite remember what had happened, but he knew that in some cases of concussion, short term memory was shaky at best.

"Yes, Sir. I think I'll be fine. I've never seen this kind of healing spell. What is it?"

"Actually, it's merely energized acromantula silk. The silk acts like a bandage and as it dries, tightens the wound. The energizing spell is one of my wand making spells. Quite simply, it is used in preparing the wood of a wand for the core to be added. As a whole, it should have your arm healed in about an hour. Not as fast as a potion or some of the more difficult healer spells, but just as effective. Now, if you are ready, I do have some small tasks for you to do still today."

"Of course. What would you like me to do?"

"As your arm is still healing, I would like you to sort this case of dowels. They are wand blanks. I've found it increasingly easier to begin with muggle harvested wood in most cases, and work from there. A nearby lumber yard saves the end pieces they would be unable to sell normally, and I pick them up every 3 months. They need to be sorted by wood type, grain, and length."

"I'll begin at once." Harry tucked his injured arm into his waistband and started to work. The job, while easy, was very time consuming. Before long, he noticed his arm was no longer sore, and all that was left was a fading light red mark.

As Harry pulled each new type of wood from the crate, Ollivander would list off the characteristics.

"Ah! Yes. Willow. Quite swishy, and very good for most charms work. I once knew a girl who was amazing at charms. She married a young man just out of Hogwarts. Potter was their name."

Harry froze. He could feel a lump in his chest that sat hollowly. He looked at the piece of wood in his hand and a single tear fell from his cheek.

"Mr. Black? James? Are you okay there lad? Is your arm hurting you still?"

"No, Sir. You just reminded me of something." Harry swiped the tears from his cheeks and put the lid back on the crate. "I'm finished this crate. What's next?"

Ollivander's eyebrows rose and he strode over to the sorted wood. His eyes roved across the stacks. His eyes were shining as he turned back to Harry.

"Very well done, Mr. Black! You have a keen eye to do this so quickly. Come with me. I would like you to try something."

The old shopkeeper moved to an older workbench. With a wave of his hand, he cleared the mess from the top and the tools organized themselves. There were various chisels and other tools lying neatly in rows on the bench. The razor edges gleamed in the lamplight.

"One of the more difficult parts of making wands is splitting the wood. We can not use magic on a wand until it has been joined with its core. Any magic, for lack of a better term, spoils the wood. Thus, we must split and carve them by hand, using muggle tools."

Ollivander selected a medium sized piece of oak. Handing it to Harry, he continued, "We first must find the flow of the grain. You cannot split a piece of wood unless you know how the grain runs through it. Close your eyes, and hold the wood in your hands. Block out the sounds from the alley, and listen only to the rhythm of life within your body. Once you have focused your attention, allow it to encompass the wood. Let yourself see the path the tree took as it grew."

Harry's eyes were shut, his breathing slow and steady. His hands started to glow slightly in the lamplight of the back room. Ollivander's eyes sparkled in the light. They stood like statues for several moments. Then, with an explosive breath, Harry opened his eyes.

"Now, young sir. You know how the grain runs. You saw the wood's path. How it grew each year, and how some years were better than others. When you clamp it in the vise, remember the story of the wood. Not too tight, just enough to hold it steady."

Harry tightened the velvet covered vice jaws over the wood. He made slight adjustments to how it sat in the grip, and gave the handle a final twist to set it.

"Pick a chisel, place it on the path it will take. Take your time in choosing, for the wood will be unforgiving if you do not choose correctly. Gently, but with increasing pressure, seat the chisel. When you are ready, strike the chisel with this mallet. Too hard and the wood will shatter, too soft and it will splinter."

Harry lightly passed his hands over the tools on the bench. His hand stopped on one, hovered for a moment and picked it up. With infinite care, almost as if he was in a trance, Harry positioned the chisel, moving it one grain at a time, almost as if he was counting. Harry could feel the ridges of the grain as he worked. There. This one felt right. A bit of a push and the wood released some of the sap still in it. The bitter smell of sap sang in his head. With a slight pressure, the edge of the tool bit into the wood.

A sharp rap with the mallet made the dowel ring like a bell when struck. The wood popped apart in two equal halves.

"Excellent! You have some talent Mr. Black! Do you feel tired?"

Harry wiped his brow with his handkerchief. He felt like he had played an entire game of quiditch. With a small smile he said, "A bit."

A fluttering of wings interrupted the next thing he was going to say. The nearby window swung open and a snowy white owl flew in and landed on the nearby perch. She settled her feathers, and looked at the two men standing slack jawed.

Ollivander was the first to recover. "Well! What do we have here? It seems someone has sent me a post." He reached over to a shelf and pulled out some owl treats he kept for the various post owls that came to visit him. Within moments, he had laid out several treats and a small dish of water.

Harry sat glued to his seat. The mallet had fallen, forgotten, to the floor. He looked into the amber eyes of his closest friend. Instantly, he knew she had never given up on him. The separation was survived and now she was here to make sure he was taken care of.

Ollivander removed the small mail capsule tied to her leg, and waved his wand over it to expand it back to its original size. Glancing at the script on the side, he paused, and handed it to Harry. "I believe it is addressed to you, young sir. It is getting late, and I need to close the store. Why don't you take this wonderful owl and go read your mail while you enjoy supper. I will see you tomorrow morning. Rest well tonight. We have some deliveries to make."

Harry stood up and slowly walked to Hedwig. Her head turned to follow him. As he stepped over to her perch, she flapped her wings once and hopped to his shoulder. His hand came up to caress her side, and she nipped his ear.

"Yes, Sir. I will be back in the morning."

_Voldemort sat on his throne in a beam of sunlight. His eyes were half lidded, nictitating membrane partially covering his eyes. His posture made him look much like a snake sunning itself on a rock, relaxed, yet ready to strike out at any moment._

_Wormtail glanced in the throne room as he moved towards the library. The Dark Lord had given orders to procure a necromancer so he could locate Potter. Even on the cusp of controlling the entire magical world in Britain, Voldemort was worried about the prophesy. He needed to find Potter!_

_It was Voldemort's plan to use the spirits of fallen death eaters to search for Potter. The boy had hidden from him for many years, and he had tried many other times to locate him._

_Pettigrew had been looking for a necromancer that would be easily abducted. Britain hadn't had any wizards with the skill born for generations. But now he had found one that was accessible in mainland Europe. Seems the fellow was employed by the Magical European Union to help the ghosts and spirits still left from World War II pass on. He spent a lot of time in old battlefields, and didn't have many bodyguards._

"_It seems I will be enjoying a bit of a holiday in France," Wormtail thought._

"Excuse me, Olivia?"

"Oh! You startled me! I was just finishing the sweeping in the hallway. It's a constant battle with dirt you know!"

Harry chuckled and shook his head. With Olivia on the job, dirt didn't have a chance.

"I was wondering if the roof is accessible? I was thinking about putting some small garden boxes up there in the spring, and was going to start working on it before the snow came."

Olivia smiled and patted Harry's arm. "Lad, there is an old greenhouse up there. Some of the glass needs to be replaced, and the pipes are rusted out. If you want to tidy the place up and fix it up, you're welcome to it. At the next building meeting, if you're interested, I'll put it to a vote to see if we can give you a bit of break on your rent for the costs of repair. It won't be much, but it would be nice to have some fresh vegetables in the winter!"

Harry flashed a smile at her. He knew that a bit of dragon dung tilled into the soil would grow the most amazing and tasty vegetables. He nodded his head. "Thank you. I hope to have it fixed and running shortly. If I'm lucky, I could have some fresh herbs for the building to use in a month!"

Olivia handed Harry a key to the roof door. "This will get you onto the roof. No one else has access to it otherwise. Please keep the door locked when you aren't using it?"

"Certainly. Oh.. I just wanted to let you know, I have a pet bird I would like to have in my apartment. She is very clean, and makes absolutely no noise. Would that be ok?"

"Only because it is you asking, my boy." Olivia's eyes crinkled at the corner as she smiled at Harry as he closed the door to his apartment behind him.

Hedwig was patiently waiting on the window ledge to his apartment. She hopped in and surveyed the small living room. With a flick of her wings, she was perched on the curtain that acted as a divider between the main living area and Harry's bedroom. Harry planned on stopping at Eeylops tomorrow to get her a couple proper perches.

Harry made a modest supper of bacon and eggs. He shared a piece of bacon and a bit or toast with Hedwig. He had finished washing up and was starting to get ready for bed, when Hedwig flew over to his coat, plucked out the scroll container and dropped in on his head.

"Ouch! Okay! I was going to read it as soon as I was done brushing my teeth!" Harry smiled up at his owl as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

The case had some script on the side. Most of it was smudged and scratched. It seems that this particular message had been tied to Hedwig's leg for some time. All Harry could read on the outside was 'y James …..r'.

With a twist, he popped the end of the case off. A rolled up piece of parchment slid into his hand. Placing the top edge under a weight on the desk, he unrolled the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_I don't know where you are right now or if you will ever see this letter. It was like you dropped off the face of the Earth. Dumbledore was tightlipped, and wouldn't tell us anything. I've tried writing you in the past, but Hedwig came back so hurt and tired that I was afraid to send her out again._

_Things in England have continued to get worse since you disappeared. Voldemort is the power behind the Ministry. Fudge keeps telling people that the Aurors will have him in custody within the year. And yet wizards and witches continue to die. How many must die for him to realize what's happening?_

_Malfoy, father and son, have been gradually taking away the freedoms we used to enjoy. Centaurs and other non-humans are freely hunted. The only reason the goblins are still safe is because they have threatened to go to war. _

_Almost all of the muggle born have gone into hiding. Many went back to the muggle world, and have stopped using their magic. The only reason I am still in the magical world is because Dumbledore provided me with a safe haven as the librarian in Hogwarts. _

_I've left this message with Hedwig in hopes that she may get it to you sometime in the future. Please, please, send me back something so that I know you are ok. I miss you terribly._

_Hermione_

Harry looked up at Hedwig. Her eyes were set on him. He shook his head and rolled the letter up.

"What do you think, girl? I know I'm not ready for totally coming back to the wizarding world. I need more time to get my head together before I take that step. I am glad you are here, but nothing will erase what was done to me. Besides, while Hermione may want me, and perhaps the Weasley's, the rest of the magical world has turned its back on me. I refuse to place myself in their incapable hands….. yet again."

Hedwig flew over to the desk and nuzzled Harry's neck. He knew whatever he decided, she would support his decision.

"I've been gone for a long time. What do I say? 'Hi Hermione, how's life treating you? Mine sucks.'"

A quick nip at his fingers showed him what she thought of that idea. Harry arranged his paper on the desk and began writing.

_Hermione,_

_First, thank you for taking care of Hedwig for me. I can never tell you how much it meant to me. She was one of my first real friends, and I would not want to lose her._

_Secondly, the same goes for my other friends. I know you have probably been and still are worrying about me, but I need you to do me one more favor. Please, do not contact me. Not only would it draw much unwanted attention to me, I have some issues I must address before I can come back, if I ever do._

_I must stress that you keep the fact that you have had contact with me totally secret. The past years have been hard ones. I am very much a changed person. Actually, I'm afraid I may be too changed. Sometimes I have a detached feeling, like I am watching the world through a piece of glass and none of this is real._

_I'm so glad you are safe. If your situation ever becomes too tenuous, please owl me. I will try to help, but do not depend on me to come immediately._

_HJP_

Harry placed the letter into and envelope and addressed it. He would stop at the owl post in Diagon Alley in the morning.

* * *

The bell rang in the front. Ollivander glanced at Harry and said, "I will attend the front of the shop. Please sweep and clean up the work benches while I am away."

Harry nodded and started to rack the tools. As he was putting them away, he found an old book, partially buried under some old polishing rags. On the cover was the title, "Wood, Wisdom, Wands and You."

Intrigued, Harry pulled up a stool. His brow furrowed as he looked at the bindings. They were obviously hand made, and very old. On the inside cover was an inscription.

"_May you find peace and know the grain of your life."_

Harry sat back and looked up in thought. A smile played across his lips for a moment as he thought how Hermione would be three chapters deep into the book already. A short cough from behind him startled him out of his reverie.

"That book was given to my grandfather by his grandfather. It's been in our family for generations. Each time an Ollivander passes his knowledge on to his heir, the book goes with it. Soon, it will be my turn to pass it to my grandson. He will be entering Hogwarts next year."

Ollivander picked up the book, and brushed off some wood dust. His eyes glowed with remembered memories. Shortly, his eyes turned to Harry.

"If you are interested, Mr. Black, you may borrow this book to read. It is filled with much knowledge regarding wands, but may also help you in other ways."

"I couldn't begin to impose on you, Sir. Besides, I would hate to lose something so precious to you family!"

"Nonsense. The book is charmed with an indestructibility charm, and has magics on it to always ensure its return to the store if it is lost or stolen. In fact, the spells that imbue it can be found in the appendix. They are meant for wands, but with a few changes, can be used for other small items."

"Thank you. I will take very good care of it while I have it."

Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. "It looks like it's almost lunch time. Would you like me to pick up some box lunches from the deli? I have a letter to post, so I will be in the area."

"Thank you, James. That would be lovely. Please, if will not take too much of your lunch up, would you also post a few wands for me?"

"Sure, it won't be any trouble at all."

Harry walked down the alley to the owl post office. As he entered the building, he saw some aurors putting up a few posters. He hung back while they finished their task, and then walked over with the other curious people to see what had been tacked up on the board.

A new wanted poster for Voldemort was put up. The reward was up to 100,000 galleons. Harry shook his head and went to the desk to take care of his packages. A few minutes later his letter to Hermione was on its way, along with all of Ollivander's packages.

He made a short trip to the deli to get the lunch he had promised, and returned to the store. The rest of the day was spent doing various inventory tasks and chatting with the old shopkeeper.

As Harry closed the door to his apartment, he sighed. His day had been full, and somewhat normal, at least as normal as he could expect.


	8. Breakthrough

Chapter 8

The next several weeks passed by for Harry quickly. He gradually got the greenhouse on the roof repaired, and replaced the old soil with new topsoil. Harry carried the thirty bags of soil up the stairs to the roof himself. Olivia watched him walk up and down the stairs. On his fifth trip, she had some lemonade set out on a small table for him. The next day, quick stop at the apothecary for some bags of dragon dung provided all the fertilizer he needed. The glass panels that were to replace the cracked or broken ones came only a few days later. Much of the clean up was removing the nests and droppings left by the pigeons that had taken up residence in the old greenhouse.

As Harry worked, his constant companion was Hedwig. She perched on the overhead pipes that were used to water the plants. Her eyes missed little. Several times, Hedwig would hop off her perch and drop to the floor to snatch up a mouse.

In the evenings, Harry would read Ollivander's book. He would take notes, and then practice the skills at work the next day. Harry found the work to be exacting, almost cathartic. He could concentrate on his work, and let his mind wander.

One section of the book, in particular, caught Harry's attention. It was a treatise on Tai Chi. According to the book, Tai Chi was originally a form of concentrating or refining a wizard's magical core. The focus of the art was meditation. As one focused on the movements you brought your core into internal focus, and manipulated it energies in concert with the movements. As the wizard or witch progressed, the movements could be sped up, and incorporated into dueling. Many of the muggles who practiced the art would report a great calm, and increased health. In reality, these people were most likely squibs whose minute magical power was focused internally on their bodies, much like regular wizards naturally did with their magic. This was one of the reasons wizards were much longer lived than muggles.

Harry started going to the nearby park in the morning to practice. He found several other people also practicing. They had quickly invited him to join the group. As the weeks progressed, Harry found himself becoming lost in his movements. One such morning, he was deep into his form when the sky opened and started to rain. His normal partners had left early, but he was so focused in his movements that he had not noticed.

The colors of the grass and trees around him gradually melted away to greys, then a muted blur. His breathing was smooth and slow. The walls of his chest pulsing in and out like a slow bellows fanning a blacksmith's forge fire. He closed his eyes against the rain and sweat that was starting to run off his forehead. As his mind fell into the meditative center, he lost awareness of what was happening around him. He could see his inner magical core. This was the first time he had been able to sense his magic since he had been sent to Azkaban.

His magic's foundation looked like a small point of unimaginable brightness, almost painful to look at with his mind's eye. Around it was a dark crackling of energy. He swooped in closer to observe this part of himself. The light grew to encompass his entire field of view. As he approached, the black mist condensed. It formed something of a shield around his core. Harry felt waves of cold emanating from the shell. He reached out a probe to touch the shell. Suddenly the shell lashed out and struck him. The darkness swirled up around him.

Harry could hear his mother's voice, "Not Harry! Take me instead!" A soul shattering scream penetrated through to his core. Harry's eyes snapped open. They shone with the inner light. In the time between moments, Harry could see a lorry skidding towards a mother and her baby. The rain had become bad enough to produce poor road conditions. The young mother had crossed against the light in an effort to spare her baby from the elements.

Harry felt another presence with him watching the frozen scene. He could hear faint whisperings, like half heard conversations. "Harry…."

"What's happening? Who are you?" Harry felt frozen. He couldn't move, but his awareness was free.

"You need to make a choice. Will you let fickle Fate decide your path? Will you be her little plaything for the rest of your life? Or will you take charge of your life and do what you know you want and need to do?"

Harry couldn't look away from the lorry's skid. At the rate it was going, the young woman would be crushed between two bumpers. She could hardly live through that. Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen to the pram. The truck was flowing towards the impact at a slow, painful pace.

The voice continued, "You were put into prison because you let others make decisions for you. You allow things to affect you instead of you affecting them. You allowed Cedric to die. You allowed Sirius to die. Your inaction in this war will cause Hermione and Ron to die shortly. Tell me. Are you prepared to do that? Are you a puppet?"

Harry felt a rage boiling up. His throat was convulsing with bile. The scene in front of him grew in crystal clarity. He hadn't killed anyone! His arms slowly started to move into the next Tai Chi form. His lips began to form a phrase. In his mind he spat back at the voice, "I will not…. I will not be a plaything any longer!"

The voice receded slightly and calmly replied, "I thought not. We will speak again Harry. Now, affect the event, do not let it affect you."

Harry's core flared though the shell, as if a portal had been opened. He touched the power, shaped it up his arm, and into his hand. A hazy matrix of power formed, vaguely shaped like antlers from a stag. His arm flowed into the form, and remembering a simple push charm said, "Pulsus!"

With an actinic flash, much like lightning, Harry's spell lanced out from his hand and struck the front corner of the lorry. The nudge was enough to push it back out of its fishtail and back into traffic again, where it regained control.

Harry collapsed to his knees. He saw the young woman curled overtop of her baby. The mixture of her scream and the screech of the tires on the Lorry had sounded exactly like his memory of his mother's last moments. She looked up and relief flooded her face. She quickly pushed the pram across the street and into a doorway out of the rain. Several people who had witnessed the incident came over to make sure she was ok.

A few moments later, Harry composed himself enough to get back to his feet. He quickly packed his things. He briskly walked back to his apartment. The nearby bobby watched the young man leave the park. A puzzled grin grew on his face. The man pulled what looked like a peg-leg out of his duffel and headed behind a bush. A few moments later, Mad-Eye Moody emerged.

Moody started to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron. Tom always had some warm Fire Whiskey ready for him on days like this. The old injuries ached when it rained. As he stumped towards the pub Mad-eye contemplated what to do with the knowledge of Potter's location. He had known about the suffering Harry had put up with at the Dursley's. He had some idea of the manipulation Dumbledore had done to him. What he didn't know what where he had been for all these years. It had been like he had fallen of the face of the Earth.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron, Moody waved to Tom. The innkeeper nodded and brought out a steamy mug of whiskey. Handing Tom a few galleons, he asked, "We've been friends for a while now, Tom. Haven't we?"

"Since the last war. You know the only reason I'm here to run this place today is because you saved me. I owe you my life."

"If I asked you a question, strictly in confidence, would you answer me truthfully?" Moody kept looking down into his mug as he took a mouthful of the contents.

"As long as I didn't break any of the secrecy oaths you know we had to take upon leaving the Unspeakables. What do you need, old friend?"

Moody looked up and into Tom's eyes. "How long has Potter been back?"

Tom's eyebrows dropped into a frown. He furtively looked around the pub. With a flick of his fingers, a privacy shield grew around the two men. He looked back at Moody's penetrating gaze.

"I only want to ask you one thing before I answer your question, Moody. Why do you want to know? If you think I'm going to join the "Bird" club of yours, you are sadly mistaken. Dumbledore may have killed Grindlewald, but He has never seemed to be upfront about his motives since."

"I saw Potter today. He seemed to be meditating in a park. The rain didn't seem to be bothering him much. I almost didn't catch the whole thing myself. I'm going to have to review it in a pensieve several times to be sure of myself. A lorry lost control going around a corner, the skid was going to take it into a pedestrian. Potter's arm snapped out, almost as if he had planned to be in the position he was in, spoke a spell, and **wandlessly** pushed a loaded lorry from its skid. He then packed his gear and was gone in less than 15 seconds. Even in our prime, I don't think we could have done that with our wands."

Tom stroked his bald head. He shook it in wonder. "The boy was just beginning to show some of his potential when he was here several weeks ago. I didn't even recognize him until he asked for some privacy. While it wasn't a compulsion spell or anything, I would have been hard pressed to have told anyone he was here that night. With time, it has worn off, but even now I feel uneasy telling you."

Moody nodded. "Dumbledore hasn't given up on finding him, but I think the Headmaster has lost the track of the light. He's caught up in the politics of the situation. Granted, it's important to keep the government from being completely consumed, but he's too focused. We need to be hitting Voldemort." Moody swung the mug up and swallowed the last of the whisky. He looked back down at the table, and then nodded.

"I quit the Order last week. Albus was trying to get me to reactivate in the Auror Corps. I'm too old, and besides, I like the freedom of being my own commander."

Tom's laugh barked out as he broke the privacy charm. "That you do, Moody. Write me a note, and I will pass it on to him when I see him next. I will not tell you where or what he has been doing. I will allow him to make that decision when he comes to it."

Moody nodded and handed Tom a rolled up scroll case. "It has all the typical security charms on it. I'll be by again in a week. I have a few things I need to do if Harry decides to take me into his confidence."

* * *

Hermione closed the door to her quarters. She stripped out of her school robes as quickly as she could, and hung them up on the hook by the door. She walked into her study and sat at her desk, eyes closed. It seemed like the students got more and more disrespectful every year. She thought she was going to have to defend herself in the hallway from some sixth year Slytherins. They had followed her from the library, through the castle until she got to the teacher's housing entrance. Hogwarts had kept them from following her through the doorway. She rubbed her eyes, and sighed. A slight sound in the room made her start. Looking over at the perch Hedwig had used, she saw a small rolled piece of paper. A frown lit her face as she cast a detection charm on it.

There was no magic signature on the paper. As she unrolled it, she realized it was a muggle envelope. It had been addressed to H. Granger. The writing, while different from what she remembered, was definitely Harry's. She tore it open and read.

As she absorbed the letter, tears rolled down her cheeks. She was just glad he had replied to her letter. Recently, it seemed like her life had begun to fall apart around her. She was doing a job she liked, and had coworkers who respected her gifts, but the students were becoming violent. Just last week they had to send one of the muggle borns home. The poor girl had been beat fairly badly, and if Peeves hadn't started screaming, may have even died. The students who Peeves had named had all had solid alibis, but the staff knew better. The ghosts of Hogwarts had declared during the evening feast that they were going into a self imposed exile to the caverns under the castle, until the ideals of the founders were once more in the majority.

Dumbledore had retreated to his office without a word, and had spent the last few days at the Ministry trying to get some of the newer laws rescinded. Hermione had thought about resigning and heading back to her parents for a rest. They had implored her to come home several months now, but she had refused knowing that the moment she left, Harry would come back. Thinking back on it, she had been acting kind of obsessed, but in the end it had been true.

She glanced around the small suite. She thought about the pros and cons of staying, and made a decision. A quick spell and some flue powder had her connected to McGonagall. "I'm going on a bit of a sabbatical, Minerva. I'm not sure when I will be back."

McGonagall sputtered for a moment, then a sly look came over her face. "You've found him! Of course. Go! But promise me you will keep in touch?"

"I will. Minerva, please keep where and why I'm gone to yourself? I don't want him to go to ground again before I get to him. It's important."

"Certainly, my dear. If you need any help, owl me. And I'm sure Filius would be delighted to help."

Hermione extinguished the fire. She went to the small bed and pulled out her old chest. With a quick flick of her wand, her possessions started flying into the first compartment. As the trunk was packing itself, she snagged a quill and parchment out of the air. A quick note to her parents advised them of her intent to come back for several weeks.

"Dobby!"

A slight popping sound heralded the house elf's arrival. He gave a short bow and said, "Yes, Miss?" Dobby was glad that Hermione had stopped trying to free all of the house elves in Hogwarts. She had finally done some research into them and found that elves that were not bound slowly fell into depression and would eventually die. Harry's acceptance and unprejudiced feelings towards Dobby had in effect bound him, not as a master-slave, but as a friend. Hermione handed him the letter.

"Please take that to the Owlery, and have it posted as soon as possible. I'm going to be staying at my parents for the next little while."

"Miss won't be in the castle?"

"No Dobby. You are welcome to come with me if you wish. I'm sure Mom would love to have you again. Her dinner club is still reeling from the last time you exchanged recipes with her."

Dobby's face lit up in a smile. He bashfully looked down. "Miss's mother was very nice. Dobby will pack and then come and get Miss's trunk." A sharp pop and he was gone.

Hermione looked around to see if the packing spell had missed anything. She pulled the robes from the hook, put them on, and left her suite. A few minutes later she was walking down the path the edge of the wards. With a last look at the place she had called home for almost a decade, she apparated away.


	9. Building Power

Chapter 9

Albus Dumbledore sighed as he sat in his overstuffed chair behind his desk. He had been at the Ministry attending Wizengamot meetings for the past month. Minerva had been taking care of the school while he was gone, but many items still needed his attention. With another sigh, Dumbledore started sorting though the small mountain of papers. He glanced at the staffing report. The report of Miss Granger going on a leave of absence was only a little surprising. He had expected her to go to ground in the muggle world long before this.

The student population in Hogwarts had been declining over the past few years. Most muggle born were sending their children to North America for schooling rather than chance putting them into a European school. As the Ministry had been slowly moving toward a pure blood bias, more and more graduates had been leaving for the muggle world, or leaving Europe completely.

The Order had been working in the shadows to slow or reverse many of the changes that had been implemented, but they were only so many people. With the recent loss of Alistor Moody, it would be an even harder fight. Moody's sudden change of heart was disconcerting, mostly because it was so unexpected.

Dumbledore sat back in thought. He looked over at Fawkes. His Phoenix familiar had recently gone through a burning day, and was almost back to his mature form. Albus smiled as reminisced about some of Fawkes' adventures. Many of the most recent involved Harry. A bond had formed between Harry and Fawkes, one of friendship based on mutual respect and admiration.

The headmaster had tried to contact Harry when he had disappeared using Fawkes ability to fire travel. When he had handed the parchment to the regal bird and asked for it to delivered, Fawkes expression turned to one of sorrow and he turned away from Dumbledore. A few seconds later he underwent a burning. As Fawkes flashed into flame, Albus Dumbledore fell back into his chair. The phoenix wasn't supposed to go through a burning for several weeks yet!

The small chick had shaken the ashes from his head and settled into the newly made nest. The headmaster picked the undelivered letter up from the floor where it had fallen and placed it into a drawer of his desk. It had sat in that same drawer for the past 10 years. Albus pulled it out and held it up. The parchment was yellowed with age. The ink turned to a deep purple with the passage of time.

With a final sigh, Albus Dumbledore replaced the letter in his desk, and turned back to the pile of work.

* * *

Herbology was never one of Harry's strong classes. He usually just cruised through with an average mark. In the case of his greenhouse, he had more than enough skill to bring it up to speed. Using some of the skill he had learned at Hogwarts and some he had gained while working on Aunt Petunia's garden, he was able to get some nice vegetables and herbs to freshen the winter tables of the building's tenants. It also provided him time to be introspective. Much of the time he spent in the greenhouse was quiet. He would be working on the rows of plants only to look up and realize many hours had passed.

Harry's work with Ollivander in the wand shop provided enough money to rent his flat, buy incidentals, and a bit left over to put away. He had been practicing splitting the wood dowels whenever he could. He could split several every day. Harry had been working earlier in the week, and had found himself particularly absorbed by a piece of Bloodwood. It had a complex grain, and was an exceedingly hard wood. He had focused himself on the wood for more than an hour before even placing it in the vice.

Ollivander had watched from his bench. He had quietly put a kettle on to boil, and prepared some tea while "James" had worked. Without disturbing the young man, he had placed a mug of Earl Grey within reach. The old shopkeeper had been very pleased with the advances his charge had made since his abrupt arrival at his shop that one morning. The once frail and scared young man had calmed. He was still skittish, but wasn't jumping at the simple sound of the bell when someone walked into store anymore.

Harry finished with the tomato seedlings he was transplanting into some fresh earth. He brushed his work apron off, and hung it by the door as her left his roof retreat. The sun was just touching the horizon. Its golden rays lit the entire rooftop garden through the frosty panes of glass.

He waved at Olivia as she swept the stairwell. She smiled and motioned him over.

"I just wanted to convey the whole building's thanks to you, James. You rooftop garden is a godsend in these trying times. There's nothing like a nice bit of fresh herbs and vegetables to brighten a meal!"

Harry smiled. He felt a wash of pleasure at the gratitude being shown by the other residents. "It's nothing, Olivia. I enjoy the time to think, and it's good exercise for me. My job is pretty sedentary."

"Well, I have a proposition for you. I know you weren't able to make the last Tenants meeting, so I volunteered to bring this up with you." Harry felt a bit of curiosity flare in him. "We've voted to use some of the 'Rainy Day' money we have put away to expand the rooftop gardens. We would like to put a railing around the outer edge. If you were willing, we hoped you would plan and grow us a sitting area. Sort of an Urban Park. We would pay you for the time, of course. Much like we currently do, with rent reductions."

Harry pursed his lips in thought. He already knew he would accept, and was planning out some of the additions he would make. Some small potted bushes, Ivy and hanging plants, and flowers. Maybe he could figure out a way to make a small fountain in the north-west corner…

"James?" Olivia looked at him with a bit of concern. Harry shook his head and focused.

"Pardon? Oh! Yes. Of course, I would love to! I'm sorry.. I was doing a bit of woolgathering there."

Olivia patted him on the shoulder and clucked like a mother hen. "You need to take some time for yourself, also. We'll discuss the particulars over tea on the weekend? Now. Off to bed with you. My children got the same bags under their eyes when they were tired!"

Harry impulsively leaned down and gave the woman a quick hug. She looked at his eyes and saw for the first time since he had moved into the building that his smile filled his whole face. Up until this point, any time James had smiled, his eyes had still had a haunted look in them.

"I'll see you then, Olivia. Good night."

The next morning, Harry was passing through the Leaky Cauldron on his way to the shop. He looked at Tom and nodded his head good morning like he had every other day before. Usually, Tom just watched him pass through. This time, Harry saw him gesture him over. He stopped and looked around the bar. The only other person in the establishment was the chamber maid, preparing her cart for the day. Harry slowly walked over to the bar. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir. As you were passing through yesterday, you dropped this. I knew you would be back through today, so I held on to it for you." Tom set a small rolled piece of parchment on the bar. Harry looked at it and took a step back from the barkeeper. He felt a wash of panic rising in his chest.

"I'm sorry. You are mistaken. Please. I'm late for work." Harry glanced side to side to make sure no one was trying to sneak up on him.

"Please, Sir. It looks important. I'm sure it's yours. I've been moody since I found it, and would feel better if I didn't have to keep constant vigilance over it."

Harry stopped. His eyes rolled in their sockets with fear. Moody! How had he found him? Harry had been very careful to stay out of sight. His breathing quickened at the thought of being found by Dumbledore and forced to stay at the Dursley's, or worse, imprisoned at Grimmauld Place. As he envisioned this, a black veil went up over his vision, and he felt a presence.

Tom looked at the young man. His face was white, and he looked like he was about to faint. This couldn't be the same person Moody had told him about. A flobberworm could have knocked him over. Suddenly, with a shudder, the man in front of him calmed. His green eyes pierced Tom's and pinned him in his place. He could feel feather-like brushes of a master legilimens. There was something else…. A feeling that it would be fruitless and dangerous to resist. This was the same feeling he had experienced the first day Harry had stayed at his inn. It was gone almost as fast as he had felt it.

Tom almost missed what happened next. A small pulse of raw magic washed over him. It seemed to come from the man in front of him. It was so quick and low powered that he wasn't even sure he had felt it.

Ezekial pulled a warm blanket around Harry's mind. He had been watching from the depths, and wanted to see how Harry would cope. It was obvious he wasn't ready yet for anything but pleasant social interaction. There was a spark of courage, but he still needed the self assurance to ignite it into bravery and conflict. The years of being unable to fight back while in Azkaban had conditioned Harry's Fight or Flight response into a self preservation Fear and Forget.

Ezekial tasted the reflections of magic that came back to him. It was much like a snake tasting the air. He could see all of the charms and enchantments that were layered over the pub. He could sense the people in their rooms. Most importantly, he could perceive the Auror under an invisibility cloak in the corner. A quick probe of Tom's mind showed the proprietor did not know of the Auror stationed in his pub. Ezekial was sure the man under the cloak was starting to get interested in the exchange that was happening at the bar. He needed to deflect it away from Harry.

"Wait.. Now I remember this. I'm in your debt, Tom. My employer was displeased to say the least when I had misplaced his Nephew's OWL results. Thank you for holding on to this for me."

Tom nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. It went against all his training to turn his back to the person at his bar. The feeling he gave off was one of a threat, but not directed at him.

With a malicious grin, Ezekial pulled some magic from the ley line overhead. Not enough to stand out, but enough to power a small curse. He muttered the empowering phrase and discreetly flicked his fingers at the corner.

"_Laxus Viscus."_

Ezekial scooped up the parchment with liquid smoothness and tucked it into his coat as he strode from the pub into the Alley. Tom looked around as he heard a loud gurgle followed by soft cursing in the corner. A rancid fecal smell wafted throughout the pub.

* * *

Harry felt woozy. The dizzy episodes had been happening less since he got out of the hospital, but sometimes they still overwhelmed him. He was sitting on one of Florean Fortescue's small tables. Not exactly sure how he got there, he scrubbed his face with his hands. With a deep breath, Harry hurried to Ollivander's shop.

The old shopkeeper had just unlocked the door as he arrived. Harry mumbled a small apology for his lateness, and got only a raised eyebrow in response. "Once in a while, Mr. Black, I can understand. Just don't make a habit of it." Harry settled into his workbench and got straight to work.

The rest of the morning flew past as Harry worked diligently on the bloodwood wand. He shaped the pieces and prepared a small channel down the middle for the core to be placed. Ollivander stepped up behind him and asked to inspect his work.

"Mmmm… yes. Bloodwood is very difficult to work with. Actually, I'm surprised you have been able to shape this piece as nicely as you have. The heartwood tends to be very dense and resistant to the carving blades. How did you do this without damaging the chisels?"

Harry looked up at Ollivander with a bit of confusion. As he had been shaping the wood, he had been allowing his senses to flow into the grain to see what the wood grain had wanted it to look like. All he had done was follow the grain, shape the handle, and sand the rough parts.

"I did as you instructed, Sir. Feel the wood, sense the flow of the grain, and was sure of every stroke of the chisel before making it. I've been working on this wand for the past few days, actually. It just seemed to want to be shaped this way. Did I do something wrong?"

Ollivander rocked back on his heels. Amazing! This young man in front of him could sense and manipulate magical flows. It took a strong magical core to even see them, let alone use them.

"Tell me, James. When you close your eyes and use the splitting visualization technique on the shop, what do you see?"

Harry relaxed into concentration. He had never thought to use this on anything but wands. As he sank into himself, he realized that the wandmaker's book hinted at this use. Harry hadn't been able to grasp some of the ideas until now. When he opened his senses to the shop, he could see hundreds of lines flowing through the shelves. Each one was connected to a wand in its case. Harry followed one of the threads up and out of the shop. The other end connected to a large flowing river of magic that seemed to surge up out of the ground like a fountain, and run in different directions away from Diagon Alley. With a gasp at the beauty of it all, he opened his eyes.

Ollivander stood in front of him with a small smile on his lips. "Well? What do you see?"

"It's beautiful. Like a river of magic fountaining up and spreading out to everything. The wands… they seem to be connected to the… I don't even know how to describe it."

"It's called a Ley Line. The best way to describe it would be to call it a river. What you saw with the wands was their magical cores' connection to the ley line. If you were to look very closely at a person, you might see the thread that connects them to the line also. You are very lucky, Mr. Black. Not many people can see them. I have a second question for you. What will you be using for a core with that wand you have been working on?"

Harry shook his head. He hadn't gotten to the portion of the book that dealt with cores yet. He had no idea on even what he could use. "I'm sorry, Sir. I haven't gotten to that point yet. I hadn't felt until now that it was even ready for one."

Ollivander patted his shoulder and turned towards the front. The bell had rung that a customer was waiting. "I suggest you read Chapter 10 next. Keep looking at the lines. Try it when you get home, at the park, or when you're in the bath!" With a wink he disappeared through the curtain.

Harry cleaned the shop up and waved to Ollivander as he left for the day. He stopped at Fortescue's for a small ice cream, and sat in retrospection of the day. His mind slipped to the sight he had used in the shop, and he saw the swirls of threads all around him. Each person had a bright thread that was connected to their wand. With a bit of concentration, Harry could see some other threads that interconnected the person to the wand, and to the main ley above. He could see his own thread, though in all fairness it was much more rope like than thread. He could see the differing thicknesses of others connections also.

A few tables away, Harry watched a wizard cast scourgify, cleaning it of the melted ice cream that had spilled on it. A pulse of energy came out of the wand and stroked the table like a hand wiping away the mess.

Harry finished his treat and wondered at the amazing display of magic as he walked home.


	10. Discoveries

Chapter 10

Harry closed the door to his flat and hung his coat on the peg beside it. He drew a hand through his hair and blew a breath out through pursed lips. He felt absolutely drained. The rolled parchment in his pocket had grabbed his attention as he had put his coat on back at the shop. Wondering how it had gotten to his pocket, he felt he needed some privacy before opening it up.

Now that he was home, he pulled the parchment out of the pocket and popped the seal off the outside. A small spark of magic flared for a moment, and then fizzled out as the wax seal disintegrated. Harry unrolled the scroll and read.

_Potter,_

_I don't know where you have been, or what has happened to you, but from what I can see, you have been through hell. As one man to another, I can understand your need for privacy and healing following whatever ordeals you have been through. But that time must soon come to an end. Dumbledore and the Order are fighting a losing battle. They have barely managed to keep the status quo over the past five years. Much of the ministry is under Voldemort's thumb. Those departments that are not are watched closely. A few random deaths here and there keep them pretty quiet._

_I haven't spoken to the Order or Albus for several weeks, ever since I resigned my position with the Order. He had asked something of me that I was not prepared to give up. They do not know where you are, that you can be contacted, or that I know where to find you. It was pure luck that I did find you. Sadly, the one thing that Constant Vigilance can not overcome is the fickle nature of Lady Luck! Still, you have done an excellent job of keeping your trail cold. _

_If you would be available, I would like to meet with you, if only to give you an oath that I will not betray your location. Please, send me your owl, Hedwig, with your reply._

_Moody._

_P.S. – CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Trust no one. The Aurors are corrupted, and people are scared. _

Harry sat back in his chair. The letter was clearly from Alistar Moody. Of the entire Order, he felt the most respect towards Moody. While he may not trust him, he did trust his actions. If Moody swore to keep his privacy, Harry knew he would take it to the grave with him. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Harry hastily scribbled a note to Groguld at Gringott's asking for a secure meeting room to be arranged. He signed the bottom of the note and called Hedwig over.

"Would you take this directly to the goblins? I think you should wait for a response. It shouldn't take long, and I'll have some treats for you when you come back." Hedwig nipped at his fingers, and hopped to the windowsill waiting for Harry to open it. He allowed her to fly out and then closed the window against the chill. It was hardly an hour before she was tapping at the window to be let back in. Harry stroked her feathers as she snacked on the owl treats he had given her.

The goblins response was typical and terse.

_Mr. Potter,_

_Your secure meeting room has been arranged for two days hence. The room will be available to you for the entire day. To ensure all meeting participants are invited, please have them bring their vault key, or some other recognized proof of identity. Upon arrival they will be required to show their identification proof before being allowed entry to the meeting room. Kindly provide Gringott's with a list of the attendees and we will take care of the rest. The 50 galleon fee has been removed from your vault. Please be advised this is a non-refundable service. Thank you for your patronage._

_Groguld_

_Accounts Manager_

Harry smiled at the efficiency of the Goblins. They never let him down. He took out another sheet of paper and wrote out another note.

_Professor Moody,_

_I find myself, with reluctance, agreeing to a meeting with you. As you have surmised, I have had some hard times. While these are behind me, I find that they still intrude on my present. I'm sure you will understand if I decline to speak about them in a letter. If you would speak with me, please be at Gringott's in two days at 2pm. Ask for Manager Groguld, and bring your vault key. You will not be able to enter the meeting room without it._

_HP_

Harry turned back to Hedwig. He saw her standing on the window still with her leg out. "Are you sure, girl? It's pretty cold and you already delivered one letter for me. It can wait until morning if you want." The snowy owl scolded him with some unhappy grumbling. Harry laughed and tied the letter to her leg. "Ok. I'm sorry. I just worry about you in the cold."

Hedwig hopped out of the window again and swooped away into the dark.

* * *

Moody was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron, nursing a heated firewhisky when Hedwig found him. She swooped down and landed on the middle of the table in front of him. She stuck her leg out and shook the letter loose. After a piercing look into his eyes, she launched into flight and left. Alistar waved his wand over the letter looking for any spells or enchantments on it. Surprisingly enough, there was nothing. Not even the latent magic that would come from being in a wizard's possession. He opened the envelope and read the contents. The boy never ceased to impress him. Not only was there very little information contained in the letter aside from what he needed, he had managed to make the meeting as secure as he could without using a Fidelius charm.

Something that had sent lances of fear into Auror recruits hearts for decades appeared on Moody's face: a smile.

Tom came to the table with a second fire whiskey. He placed it in front of Moody and caught Alistar's eyes with his own. A raised eyebrow was replied to with a small nod. He patted Moody on the shoulder and returned to the bar.

Moody raised his glass in salute, and drank it down.

* * *

Hermione finished drying the dish and put it away in the cupboard. Normally she would just wave her wand and cast a housekeeping spell to do the dishes, but lately she had been doing as much as she could without magic. No one was sure where the death eaters would strike next or how they chose their targets. She had been staying with her parents for a few weeks trying to put together a new warding schema to better protect them. She had just finished the new runes and was going to conclude the casting all at once tonight. Once finished, the new wards would prevent any intruder from entering the house. If she was right, it would even give Voldemort pause. More than enough time for her or her parents to use the portkey on the fireplace mantle.

A familiar voice rang out from the parlor. When Hermione got to the fireplace Minerva McGonagall was patiently waiting for her to answer the fire call.

A smile broke out across her face. "Minerva! What a pleasant surprise! To what do I owe this to? Social call?"

"I wish I could say that, Hermione. I actually called to ask you a personal favor. One of my Gryffindor's had an accident on the moving staircases and seems to have broken her wand. The Headmaster is away as the Wizengamot is in session, and I cannot leave. Would you be able to escort the young lady to Ollivander's to get a new one? The school will be picking up the cost of the new wand, since the damage happened on school grounds."

"When are you thinking? I would need to make a few arrangements. I'm definitely not going to be able to today."

"Would tomorrow be too soon? I'm sure you remember Mr. Weasley's scholastic difficulties when he broke his wand, never mind the danger of using one."

"I can do that. I will be at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow, just after lunch. Who is the student?"

"Miss Doreen Wood. Normally I would ask the parents to take care of this, but her mother is unavailable due to some pressing work matters in France. And of course her father…." Minerva turned her head for a moment to hide the tears that threatened to show. Oliver had been one of her Gryffindors. His sacrifice had saved dozens of lives, but left his daughter without a father.

"I miss them all too, Minerva. I will be waiting."

"Thank you. I will send her with a portkey that will bring her back to the school. Tap it with your wand, and it will activate. Now, I need to teach some children about the fine art of transfiguration!"

Hermione waved goodbye, and sat back. She had been putting off a trip to Diagon Alley for a few days. She sighed and returned to her preparations for the night's casting.

* * *

The next morning Hermione woke to a quiet house. Her casting the night before had tired her considerably, and she had slept well past the time she normally would wake. Her parents were at their surgery again today. She had told them not to expect her back until after supper. After woolgathering for a few moments more, she slipped out of the bed and went about her morning business.

Finally finished with her shower, she checked the clock and saw that she had about 15 minutes to get to the Leaky Cauldron. She threw on a jacket, whirled a scarf around her neck and apparated to the Diagon Alley arrival point. A few moments later had her sitting in Tom's pub with a warm butterbeer in her hands. She spoke quietly with Tom for a few minutes, reminiscing about times past as she waited for the student to arrive.

The fire in the large cubby flared green and Doreen stumbled out of the hearth. Hermione thanked Tom for the butterbeer and walked over the young girl.

"Professor Granger! Professor McGonagall told me you would be here. Did you hear about my wand? It was horrible! I was trying to get to the bottom of one of the stairs before it moved, and as I was taking the last step, the horrid thing jerked. I fell on the landing. It hurt a bit, but all I could think about was the awful splintering noise than came from my pocket! It took Mom and me ages to find that wand!"

"Yes, Miss Wood. I hope you brought your old wand with you? We need to give it to Mr. Ollivander to get a new one."

The First Year student held up a paper envelope. Hermione could clearly see a bend in the wand. With a nod, she swept towards the alley entrance, the student in tow. "Let's go and see a wizard about a wand then! We'll get you slinging spells around like Merlin in no time!" Doreen Wood smiled and tucked the envelope back into her coat.

The two witches walked through a fairly busy Alley towards the wand maker's shop. Hermione made sure to walk at a slow pace, as she knew the girl wouldn't have had a chance to see much when she was here last. Most people simply did their shopping and left, not daring to take the chance of a Death Eater attack.

Hermione was sure Ollivander's shop hadn't changed since it was opened in 382 B.C. Aside from some maintenance, it was still musty, and had that ancient feel to it. Of course that could be coming from the shopkeeper also. She held open the door for Miss Wood. The jingle of the entry bell called out to the shop.

Ollivander and Harry were in the back, updating stock sheets. Ollivander didn't really know how many wands he had in the shop, or what kind. Harry was working at counting all the boxes and their contents and documenting them. Ollivander himself was in the middle of repairing a slightly damaged wand for one of the Wizengamot members as Harry questioned him about each wand.

"Go and take care of the front for a few moments, would you James? I can't just leave this right in the middle as I am. I will be out shortly."

Harry nodded and walked towards the front of the shop. As he pushed through the curtain he glanced back at the workshop. Ollivander made a shooing motion with his hands. Strangely enough, there was an almost maniacal grin on his face. Harry smiled and shook his head as he pulled the pocket door closed to the back room. As he turned towards the front counter he said, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Ollivander is slightly indisposed at the moment. Could I be of service….?" His voice faded out as he took in visage before him. The last time he had saw Hermione Granger, she had been a schoolgirl on the cusp of becoming a young woman. This creature before him was nothing short of a woman in full bloom. She was currently tuned away from him, looking at a wand polishing kit on the display shelf. His eyes took in her hair. As she had matured, it seemed her hair had come under control. It flowed down her back in coils of brown silk, just past her shoulders. Her clothes were modest, and flattering to her slight but curvy figure.

Hermione turned towards the shop attendant and was starting to ask where Mr. Ollivander was when their eyes locked. Her heart skipped a beat. The last time she had looked into those green pools to his soul, Harry had been asking her to take care of Hedwig. She never forgot what they looked like. For years she could see him staring at her in her dreams. Asking for her to come and save him from the terrible nightmares he was having.

"H…Harry? Is it really you?"

Harry couldn't look away from the deep brown eyes that were locked to his. His mind flayed at the blank spots that once held happy memories. The dementors had taken so much from him. Gradually, one fuzzy moment came to the surface. A screaming girl who was clinging to his waist for dear life as the hippogriff below them flew up to a tower. While not necessarily a happy memory, it wasn't one of the horror filled ones he was left with now.

"Hi Hermione. I….I…. I don't know what to say to you."

Hermione felt something burst in her. She leapt towards the man beside the counter and gripped him in a tight hug. She clung to him for a moment before she felt his arms close around her. The smell coming from him was so familiar that she started to weep. She had finally found him. She wasn't going to let him get away from her again! It was at that point that she heard a small voice come from behind her.

"Uhm.. Professor Granger? Do you know him?" Doreen Wood was wide eyed at one of her favorite professor's reaction to the strange man. She had never in a million years thought that the strict Professor Granger would grab and hug a man like that, let alone cry while doing it!

Hermione stepped back and straightened her robes. She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, and brushed her hair quickly out of her eyes. She turned to the student she had forgotten when she saw Harry. "Yes…. Yes. I'm sorry, Miss Wood. This is an old friend. Please, let me introduce you to.."

Harry cut in and held out his hand, "James Black. Pleased to meet you Miss Wood." He shook her hand with a warm smile on his face. "It seems to me you came in here with other plans besides traumatizing your young charge, Miss Granger. Perhaps we should deal with that first?"

Hermione smirked at Harry. When he had introduced himself as James Black it had only taken her a few moments of reflection to understand that he wanted to keep his anonymity for now. He still had the wit she loved him for, even if he had changed in other ways over the past years.

"Yes. Quite. Miss Wood seems to have had an accident with her wand. We came today to find her a replacement. Miss Wood, please give Mr. Black your wand."

The girl placed the envelope on the counter. Harry pulled a black linen lined box and poured the pieces into it. Several splinters and were held together by what looked like a unicorn hair. Harry concentrated on the wand, trying to see the flow of magic. The thread was very small, almost like spider silk. He traced it back to the small girl in the shop. Her face was downcast as she looked at the wand in front of her. Harry knew how she felt. The very moment of his wand's destruction was still fresh in his mind as the day it happened. With a frown, he shook his head and vowed to find her a new wand.

"Well, it looks like this one is pretty much beyond repair. Please, come over there so I can measure you. Unfortunately, I do not have the same memory for wands as Mr. Ollivander does." He pulled the magical tape measure from its cubby and tossed it into the air. The tape wasn't so much to actually measure the girl, as to take her attention away from Harry as he scanned the walls of wands in the store, looking for one that was reaching towards her. As Ollivander always said, "The wand chooses the wizard."

He focused on the flow of magic in the shop. He could see thousands of threads connecting the wands to the ley line above the shop, but none of them were coiling around the girl. He snatched the measuring tape from the air. "Hold on a moment. I think we have just the thing." Harry winked at Hermione and stepped back into the stacks of wands near the back of the store. He glanced through all of the older stock, and still couldn't see anything that was strongly calling to the girl. With a sigh and a smile, he thought about the thousands of times that Ollivander had done this in the past. With a shake of his head, he took several boxes out the counter. One by one they tried them all, and the best she could get was a few faint grey sparks to pop out of the end.

It was at that time that the door to the back opened and Ollivander came into the front. He was carrying the first wand that Harry had finished earlier that morning. He had spent almost a week trying to decide what core to put into the oak wand. It had been a fairly long wand, measuring in at 11 and three quarter inches. What had finally drawn his attention for the core was a Couatl feather. Wood, Wisdom, Wands and You described the Couatl as a long, feathered serpent with a pair of rainbow-feathered wings that allow it to fly. They are around 12 feet in length, with a wingspan of 15 feet and weigh around 1,800 pounds. Couatl are ranked highly among the light creatures and have been known to associate with phoenixes. Harry had found the feather tucked into a forgotten book stacked on the top of the workbenches.

Ollivander smiled and set the box down. He rubbed the last of the beeswax polish into the finish and handed it to Doreen. "Yes, I think this one will do nicely. Give it a swish!"

Doreen looked at the old shopkeeper and then to her Professor. Hermione nodded at the wand and smiled. As soon as Doreen picked up the wand, she knew it was the one. It felt almost alive. Her last wand had felt similar to this one, but not nearly as comfortable. She gave the wand a swish. A surge of sparks washed out of the end and swirled around the shop. The light was reflected in her gleeful eyes. Ollivander's smile grew to epic proportions. He closed the wand box and placed it into a small paper bag. He added a wand polishing kit to it and knelt down in front of the schoolgirl.

"Here you are my dear. I'll have you know that I've only ever seen that kind of response with a wand from three other people in my entire life. One was Albus Dumbledore, one was a young man named Tom, and the third was from Harry Potter." Ollivander glanced up at Hermione as he said this and winked. "Take care of this wand. It fits you perfectly!"

Doreen nodded and carefully put the wand into its box. "Thank you, Sir! I will!"

Hermione cleared her throat, "I think we should get you back to Hogwarts before Professor McGonagall thinks I've taken you for ice cream or something!" Doreen scrambled inside of her winter robes for the portkey the professor had given her. She pulled out an old quill and held it out. "Hold on tight now, Miss Wood! Take care." Hermione tapped the feather with her wand and the school-girl disappeared.

"Miss Granger? I'll send on the paperwork to the Ministry for the broken wand. I just need your signature on these forms before you go. James here will help you out with them. If you need me I will be in the workshop." Ollivander nodded to them and strode towards the back of the shop.

Hermione turned to Harry. She looked at his face. The features she remembered were still there, but partially hidden by the scars and lines on his face. His hair was no longer jet black, but a salt and pepper blend that added years to his appearance. She examined his build. He was dressed in laborer clothing, and she could see he was still thin. The muscles that she could see looked like corded ropes under his skin, bunching and relaxing as he moved. She was brought back to the present by his voice.

"You look good…How's life treating you?"

Hermione threw herself back at Harry and wrapped him in a tight hug. Tears started rolling down her cheeks again as she exclaimed, "You're missing for ten years and you say 'How's life treating you'! I swear, if I didn't miss you so much I would slap you!"

With a grin Harry replied, "Hedwig did the same thing when I was going to write you back with those words."

"Oh! How is she? Did she find you ok?"

"She's fine. She's out hunting right now. I'll see her when I get home this evening after work. I can't thank you enough for taking care of her. So! Professor Granger, is it?"

"Not anymore. I had to leave the school. Things are getting dire, Harry! The pureblood faction has basically taken over the school! I wasn't safe there anymore, so I've moved back to my parents for now. Harry…. What happened?"

Harry's face closed. He stepped away from Hermione and turned slightly away from her. "I can't talk about it. Not now, not here. Give me some time, 'Mione. I promise, when I'm able to I will tell you everything."

"Ok, Harry. I'm sorry. When will you be done working? Could we get some supper together? My treat!"

Harry smiled. "How about you come to my flat for supper? I'll pick up some groceries on my way home."

Hermione's face lit up in a brilliant smile. She agreed and wrote down his address. Harry had her sign the necessary paperwork for Doreen's new wand. With a final hug, Hermione left the shop. She had a million questions for Harry, but knew better than to press him. When he took the bit in his teeth it was impossible to change his mind. It was obvious something terrible had happened to him, and she was not going to drive him away again.

A few hours later found Harry at Gringott's. He had arrived a half hour before Moody was supposed to arrive. Groguld provided tea and some biscuits for refreshments. Harry was relaxing and reading the "Wood, Wisdom, Wands and You" when the door opened. Moody stepped into the room and pointed his wand at Harry.

"Prove you are Potter."

Harry looked at Moody poised with his wand, ready to cast if he failed to prove himself. Harry knew this was Moody. The goblins wouldn't have let him in if he wasn't. He set down the book he had been reading.

"Tell me Moody… How many people know the location of Walburga Black's painting?"

Moody rocked back on his heels. His eyebrows raised, he growled out, "Not more than a dozen."

"Twelve Grimmauld Place. Next to the troll leg umbrella stand that Tonks likes to trip over. Did the Order ever figure out how to remove that bloody painting?"

Moody snapped his wrist. The wand vanished into his sleeve. With a snort he answered, "No. The damned permanent sticking charm can only be removed by a Black. With Sirius gone, there are none left other than death eaters. She'll be there until the place burns, or is demolished." Mad Eye gave Harry a once over. His good eye roved up and down his body with a piercing glare, while the magical one focused a bit behind him. With a grunt, he sat down on the chair across from Harry.

Harry perched on the chair he had been reclined on earlier. Moody hadn't changed much with the passing of years. A little grayer and perhaps a touch of stiffness in his joints was all that was obvious. It was obvious that nothing that would impede his response to danger though.

"How did you find me?"

"I was walking through the park towards the Leaky Cauldron. I hadn't even noticed you until I felt the pulse of magic you used to push that lorry aside. Good job there."

Harry shook his head. While he hadn't been actively hiding, he didn't want to advertise his presence. The wizarding world had turned its head from him a long time ago, but he still had a saving people thing. He sighed and rubbed his forehead trying to fend off the threatening headache.

Moody cleared his throat, "Harry. The Order searched for months before giving up. Your friends never did. All the time you've been gone Voldemort has been steadily marching towards victory. Where have you been all these years, Lad?"

Harry felt a wash of heat through his face. His stomach clenched in fury and he scowled. He spoke through clenched teeth, "You don't know what I've been through, Moody. Obviously you didn't look hard enough! I've experienced something that I have a hard time wishing on my own worst enemies!" Harry could barely think straight. All the anger he had felt since he had been sent to Azkaban flooded to the surface. Moody's magical eye rolled in its socket towards Harry. What had been a normal faint aura a few moments ago was now a pulsing, almost living blanket of power wrapping the young man. What was disturbing was the black fingers of energy coiling around him.

When Alistar had still had most of his body, and was newly recruited to the Aurors, he had been assigned an escort duty. A third time offender had been recaptured and sentenced to life in Azkaban. The man had been shackled with magic suppressing manacles, and had been silent since his sentencing. As the boat reached the shore of the prison island, the prisoner had started to whimper. True fear was showing on his eyes. He knew what he had been condemned to for the rest of his short life, and being faced with it finally had done something to him. Moody had started to warn the other Aurors that something was wrong when the man's aura throbbed. Suddenly he had been encased in a black inky mist of power that was roiling around him like an animal trying to escape. It poured into the manacles' energy siphon. The enchantments on the cuffs were strained to their limits trying to ground the excess magic from the prisoner. The other Aurors simply sat and watched as he feebly struggled against the whirlpool of energy dropping into the shackles. After a few moments more, the shell collapsed into the convict. The man had fainted.

Later, Moody had learned that sometimes a person who was facing life or death could unconsciously tap their core. The magic was released with little more than a primal thought controlling it. Sometimes it was simply to survive, for others it was freedom. Squibs who were unaware of the magical world had been documented burning out what little magical core they had using it for feats of strength such as saving people who were trapped and other such 'miracles'. One case he had heard about recently had been a muggle law enforcement officer lifting a car wreck off of a small child who had been pinned under it during the crash. The car had to have weighed 2800 lbs if it was an ounce! Most wizards thought that evil magic was black, thus they called it dark, but Moody knew that true magic, pure magic was actually colorless, and could only truly be perceived when there was a bright background. It showed as a shadow, looking almost black. A muggle-born had once tried to explain what it looked like to him… something about heat waves, but with more substance to it. The coils he could see surrounding Harry were core magic. Pure and powerful. Moody knew that the power being flooded into the room was more than he had ever seen. The goblin wards around the room were smoking as they tried to absorb the energy that was released.

Harry was lost in his anger. For the moment, he was nothing more than a small boy who could only scream at the unfairness of life. Ezekial was pushed to the front and for the moment, allowed Harry to rage. The anger had been bottled up for far too long, and he needed to vent some of it. Ezekial erected a shield shell around Harry's tantrum flare shunting as much as he could away from Moody. Once he had ensured Harry would not do something he would regret later, Ezekial turned his attention to Moody. Harry's memories of the man were simple, almost sparse. Alistar Moody had been something of a role model for Harry. A passive legilemency scan showed the man had substantial shields, and would detect any attempt to enter his mind. Ezekial silently approved of the man before him. He could feel Harry begin to grab back control. Ezekial settled back into Harry's subconscious to continue his vigil. As Harry pulled himself together, he could hear the voice from the park, "Let him help…"

Moody was motionless. He knew better than to draw attention to himself at this critical time. This young man was not wearing enchanted manacles, and could easily overwhelm any shield he put up in a matter of moments. Something was preventing the core energy from doing him any damage. Over the next few moments, Alistar could see the aura gradually settling back into Harry. The black fingers retreated, and the power levels in the room subsided back to almost normal.

Harry sat breathing hard for several moments before the doors smashed open. Moody sat perfectly at rest. He had actually expected the goblins several minutes ago when the power levels had spiked. The room was in a shambles and the wards were still glowing brightly, almost ultraviolet, from the power they had handled. Harry's eyes flew open as he sat back in his chair, finally relaxing from his frenzy.

Two goblin warriors had broken the door open and rolled to either side of the entry. They had small swords in hand and looked ready to gut first, ask later. Two more were holding what looked like crossbows on the other side of the hall from the entrance. In the middle of the doorway was none other than Bill Weasley, his arms raised, and a crackle of energy crawling down his wand.


	11. Coming Out

Chapter 11

Bill Weasley had been recalled to Gringotts London branch a few weeks previously. The manager in the Egypt branch had "retired" just previous to the recall notice. Following the bloody history of the goblins, retirement meant death, either naturally or assisted. He and all of the other human employees had been transferred to their home branches for the duration of the Gringotts restructuring, as some of the campaigning could be fatal. Infighting among the various clans of the Goblins was normal, but humans were kept out of any possible violence to prevent further loss of some of Gringotts highly trained wizards. His wife, Fleur, had been overjoyed at his transfer, and had been trying to convince him to request a permanent post in either London or France.

Bill was in the London branch today for his yearly performance review. He had been hoping to get a bit of a bonus for his work on the last crypt. It had contained several million worth of gold and silver that the goblins had not expected. As the lead curse breaker on the dig, he was directly responsible for the outcome of the project. Returning with that much extra gold above expectations was definitely noteworthy.

He had been sitting in the outer office of the London Manager's office when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. As a curse breaker he had felt this kind of magical build up many times. It was the feeling of wards charging and a possible rupture of a containment scheme. It could lead to a bad result. The security alarm started to sound and an amplified voice echoed down the hallway.

"All non-assigned security personnel, report to conference room 221-B. Incident in progress. Defuse and detain only."

Bill leapt to his feet and ran down the corridor. He was only a few hundred meters away from the conference room. As he was a curse breaker, he was also designated a member of the security department. To break a curse or ward, one must know how to set them! Bill's hands were busy drawing several one shot protection ward runes in the air, and he tapped the silver thread stitched power boosters on his robes to activate them.

Upon arrival on the scene, he saw the armed goblins waiting for some magical backup. It was suicide to enter a room that was charged with any amount of magical energy without an idea of what to expect. With a nod to the security goblins present, he stepped forward to assess the situation. The containment wards were glowing along the frame of the door. They were deep purple and hazy with the amount of energy they were trying to disperse. Normally, these wards were meant to prevent scrying and eavesdropping spells from accessing the rooms. They did this by grounding the magic used back into their own scheme.

The spells were strong, but the wards were more than capable of handling them normally. However, the sheer amount of magic that was pouring into these wards right now was immense! Bill had only seen wards this abused a few times before; mostly during his tenure as a curse breaker. He pulled out a few pieces of slate that he carried with him on job sites. Placing two of them at the base of the door, and two at the top corners with putty, he stepped back and raised his wand. A flick of his wand engraved the runes he needed on the slate pieces. He looked to the senior goblin.

"The wards are straining to hold the power back. I can't drop them for fear of a rupture. I'm going to try to siphon off as much as I can, but I need authorization to tap Gringott's main ward scheme for grounding."

The senior goblin lifted a small flat stone from his pocket and spoke gobbledegook into it. A moment later, a goblin voice replied. The stone started to shine. The senior goblin passed it to Bill and with a smile growled, "You have authorization. This artifact is keyed to the bank's scheme. Try not to bring down the bank's main wards, hmmm?"

Bill grinned as he made the necessary passes to link the artifact to his runes. This was why he was a curse breaker! Granted, he could die at any minute, but it would be such a cool death! Bill had always known he was addicted to the rush of a possibly deadly situation. He would be what muggles would call an "Adrenaline Junky". The closer to the edge, the more alive he felt. And at this moment, with a possibly lethal amount of magic about to be channeled through him and his ward scheme, he felt ALIVE!

With a final wand movement, he placed the artifact in the palm of his wand hand, the handle of this wand snug against it. Bill concentrated on his runes stones. He could feel them stating to draw off the threads of power that was being leaked by the room's containment wards. After deep breath taken in and exhaled to center himself, he spoke his activation phrase.

"Veela Amor!"

The runes flashed and quickly went up through the spectrum from dull red to blazing white as they started to channel the energy. Bill could feel the torrent of magic rushing through his scheme. He wasn't trying to absorb any of it himself, as there was far too much for him to be able to handle safely. He was merely a director, manipulating the flows through the scheme, and preventing any one of the four supporting runes from being burned out by a surge. His wand was shaking, and he was sweating.

The security goblin barked out a command to the three others. They positioned themselves in preparation to breeching the door. Once they were settled, they could only wait for Bill to finish draining the wards to a safe level.

Bill's robes were streaming out from him in an invisible wind. He was handing as much power as he could to the artifact in his hand. It was like a dark well, taking anything he gave it and making room for more. Suddenly, he could feel an ebb in the power coming from the wards. As the flow dropped, Bill redirected the power to his runes on the door frame. They gradually brightened, and even an untrained wizard could see the power crackling between them with the naked eye. The security goblins eyed the power flows as they caressed the door frame and glanced back at the wizard's shaking arms. With a final grunt, and a thrust of his hands, Bill directed the last of the energy into the door like a battering ram. Using the abundant energy from his scheme, he had placed a momentary shield over the doorframe to prevent any backlash of energy or debris.

The two forward goblins rolled into the room, prepared to deal with any physical threat. Bill stepped forward, the last bit of energy from the wards crackling around his wand in a visible corona of energy.

"Don't move! Gringotts Security!"

* * *

Voldemort was perched on his throne. He had been planning how to make the revel a memorable one.

"Perhaps something to try to draw Potter out again? It would need to hit close to his heart. He's been hiding from me for so long that the punishment needs to fit his crime." Ever since the brat had disappeared, he had been unable to sense him for more than a few moments. Nothing long enough to work his way into his mind or get any solid idea of where he was, just glimpses and flashes that made no sense.

The Dark Lord stood and paced towards the table in the corner. There was always a variety of refreshments there for him to savor. Wine made from a Virgin's tears as she was tortured to death, several choice cuts of witch and wizard flesh, and a blood pudding that was to die for… or should he say… someone had died for?

The smile on Voldemort's face was snapped into a grimace as pain flashed into his mind. The blinding waves penetrated his head from his eyes to the base of his skull. A scream split the air as he fell to the ground, holding his head and pressing the heels of his hands into his eye sockets in an effort to stop the throbbing. Flashes of anger thrust their white hot pokers into his brain radiating pulses of crucio like waves throughout his body.

The door burst open. Peter Pettigrew and Bellatrix LeStrange had been just in the next room, waiting for their master to call for them. Wormtail was pushed to the floor as LeStrange forced her way past the small man. She dropped to the floor next to her Lord.

"Master! What is wrong? What do we do?"

Voldemort forced the waves of agony aside for long enough to speak, "Dreamless Sleep…."

Bellatrix turned to Wormtail who was staring stupidly at the scene before him. "You heard him, you spineless worm! Get a dreamless sleep potion! NOW!"

Wormtail scrabbled at the tile floor in an effort to get to his feet as fast as he could. He sprinted out of the room towards the store room.

Bellatrix leapt to her feet and tore a piece of the table cloth off. Dropping it into the wine bucket, she wetted it with ice water. A few moments later, she had it pressed to her Lord's forehead in an effort to help with the pain. She knew she was taking an awful risk. Touching her Lord without leave was an offense punishable by death, but in her crazed state of mind, she didn't think of it.

Wormtail sprinted back into the room, the bottle already open. "I have it, My Lord!"

Voldemort thrust Bellatrix away from him and snatched the bottle from Peter's hands. As he drank the potion, he stumbled to his bed a few feet away, crashing onto the covers as the potion took effect. With the last few moments of consciousness fleeting, he could sense something he had not felt for a long time. A sneer on his face and a word on his lips, he fell into a pain free slumber.

"Potter…"

* * *

Harry sat gob smacked. He was witnessing what it was like to be on the receiving end of a Goblin security action. Moody chose that moment to act. He barked out some gobbledegook at the goblins and slowly set his wand on the table and removed his hand. While still within easy reach, he was showing that he had willingly disarmed himself to the goblin security. He turned his eye to Harry and spoke calmly.

"Best you put your wand on the table, Son. They aren't doing this for the exercise."

Harry looked at Moody and calmly stated his next words. "I don't have a wand."

Moody's eyebrows climbed up his forehead in surprise. After a split second he spoke some more gobbledegook and relaxed into his seat.

Bill strode into the meeting room, his wand still at the ready. His eyes hardened as he looked at Moody. "What the hell happened here Moody? You had better have a good explanation. I'm not sure my employers will be willing to look the other way after you destroyed yet ANOTHER of their meeting rooms."

Harry raised one eyebrow as he looked at Mad Eye and mouthed, "Another?"

Alastor grunted and waved off Harry's question. "We seemed to have a bit of accidental magic that got out of control. I'm afraid I touched a sore spot in regards to my business partner here and he got a touch angry. Whatever the repair costs, take it out of my vault."

Bill turned to the security goblin. The small warrior nodded and snapped some orders to his team before turning back to the Curse breaker. "We will have an accounting of the charges sent to you Mr. Moody. In the future, to avoid these costly meetings, I suggest you find a better location for your..…negotiations." With a small nod, the Goblin team leader left the room.

Harry was looking at Bill now. He hadn't seen the man for a long time, but little had changed. He cut quite the figure. He still had the earring that Mrs. Weasley hated, and his hair was pulled back into a pony tail. The silver threaded runes on his robes were still glowing slightly from the amount of power Bill had shunted through them. Harry relaxed and viewed Bill with his magical sight. The runes stood out brightly now, as did his earring. There was a thick cable stretching from something in his hand down into the floor below. The other lines were bright with the adrenaline charged power from a few moments ago.

Harry finally spoke. "Hello, Bill. Fix the door and close it would you?"

The oldest Weasley had just started to assess the third person in the room when he had spoken. His voice had changed somewhat, and his face was scarred like a war veteran, but the eyes….. They were shining out at him as they had when he had met Harry Potter many years ago. It was like a hammer blow to his stomach realizing who was in the room with him. Collecting his wits, he turned to the door that was lying canted at an odd angle near the frame. A quickly cast Reparo set the door back into the frame.

Bill walked over to an overstuffed chair and threw himself down on it, blowing his cheeks out with a released breath. He closed his eyes and sat quietly for a few minutes. The only Weasley in the room could feel the other two in the room looking at him. He brought the thoughts flying through his mind under control and opened his eyes.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?"

Harry and Moody had spent the next half hour explaining what had happened. When Harry had asked for a vow of secrecy about his return Bill had been reluctant to provide it. Moody had then reminded him about the Goblin Security Agreement he had signed when he was hired and Bill quickly provided a Wizard's Oath to Harry. In exchange, Harry had allowed him to stay while he and Moody finished their talk.

Moody sat back in his seat, the color in his face drained as Harry described the trial and his stay at Azkahban. He had no idea the boy had been held there all these years. It was a miracle he was still sane, all though that was still to be determined after his little light show display earlier.

Bill Weasley hadn't truly cried since before he was sent to Hogwarts for schooling. The story he had heard and the soul tearing monotone that Harry spoke in as he told it was enough. The tear tracks on his cheek a testament to how much he cared for the young man who was accepted as a Weasley by his family as much as any of them were.

Harry had stopped speaking a few minutes ago. His eyes had been closed since he had started speaking. Now, as he opened them, he realized he felt somewhat…..lighter. The finality of telling someone his story was cathartic for his mind. He hadn't realized how much it was weighing on him.

Moody wiped his hand over his face and looked at Harry. Both his natural and his magical eye focused on him at once. "The Headmaster told the Order the prophesy in full a few years ago. Needless to say, we were all shocked. But I'm really overwhelmed by what you just told us. I don't understand how we could have missed this all. Granted, Fudge covered it all up as usual, but there are always whispers. Albus would have ferreted it out."

Harry's eyes turned hard. "What's Malfoy been doing during all this time? He was the 'star witness' at my trial."

Bill cleared his throat, "He's governor of Azkahban. Dumbledore has been trying to get him removed for years. Every time he thinks he's got a majority in the Wizengamot, a 'random' Death Eater attack targets his supporters and the motion fails. Then the people who are moved into those empty positions always seem to be Lucius's buddies. Dumbledore's been hanging on to the Chief Warlock position by the skin of his teeth for months now. It won't be long and they'll have a Death Eater in that chair also."

"Malfoy was the push behind my prison stay. He was the star witness, and I'm sure he's the one who kept the whole story quiet. I'm willing to bet that he murdered anyone who was talking about me. After the first few, the rest would be so scared of 'disappearing' that they wouldn't take the chance."

Harry stood and started to pace. He could feel a lump of fear in his stomach. He didn't want to get pulled into this all again! He had spent ten years of his life being tortured simply because he was "The-Boy-Who-Lived". Now, he was a nobody. Everyone had forgotten him. He could live as normal a life as possible and turn his back on the wizards and witches who had done the same to him a decade ago. But what about Hermione? She loved the magical world. She had found a niche she could fit into and be happy. When she had showed up at the shop earlier with that student, she had been practically glowing. Harry's mind started to build him a picture of Hermione holding a baby.

He stopped and shook his head. _What am I doing?! I need to get away and think._

Turning back to the two other men, Harry said, "I appreciate both your concern for me. I also hope you will give me the time I need to process everything. I have been trying to turn my life around and have a bit of normality in it. Seem like Fate has something else in mind for me."

Moody nodded his head. "I can respect that. I know what it's like to have things coming at you so fast you don't have a chance to get a breather in. Bill and I will give you some space. For now. But remember, Lad. The Fates as you call them will step in to help you along your way to fulfilling the prophesy however they need to. You can fight it every step of the way, and show up at the final act unprepared and not knowing what your lines are supposed to be. Or….you can prepare yourself by learning where you can tweak her skein and make things turn out in your favor. It's up to you."

Bill was nodding as Moody spoke. "Just so you know, Harry. I will support you in whatever you choose. I only ask one thing in return."

"What's that, Bill?"

"You send a letter to my family. Every year Mom fades a little more on your birthday. Normally, nothing can keep the twins down for more than a few minutes, but they didn't open the shop last year on your birthday. Ron still wakes the house with his nightmares, yelling out your name. And Ginny….."

Harry sat on the edge of his chair. His heart was in his throat. He was praying to whatever deity would listen that she was not dead.

"She cried herself to sleep for months after you disappeared. McGonaggall found your Firebolt in the dungeons during a regular patrol the next year. When Ginny found out, she broke into Minerva's office and stole it. Ever since, when a Gryffindor quidditch match is scheduled, she will get out the broom and polish it. I swear the only thing that's kept her sane was Neville."

Harry's eyes opened in surprise. "Neville?"

Bill smiled and nodded, "It was as much a surprise to us at the time as it is to you now. He was her constant companion. He would take her with him into the greenhouse. Sometimes she would study as he worked. Mostly she just sat there staring into space. Sometimes I wonder if he signed up for the Mastery classes in Herbology just so he could stay at Hogwarts for two more years. After school, she took healer classes with Madam Pomfrey, and he opened up an apothecary. They own a small successful shop next to the Twins. A few years ago, they got married. Their wedding day was the first time we really saw her smile since you disappeared."

The relief that flooded Harry's body was so strong that he felt sick to his stomach. He sighed and looked up at Bill. "Neville is a great guy. I'm happy for both of them. I'm just glad she's not dead. I've been going through some of the back issues of the Prophet and I keep seeing names I recognize. Lavender… Oliver….. Seamus……." Harry sighed. "Ok, Bill. I'll write them, but I want you to emphasize how I don't want them trying to hunt me down right now."

"But Harry…"

Moody chose this moment to speak. "Weasley, look around you. Remember how the mass destruction happened? Potter is still bringing his magic under control. Emotional scenes are exactly NOT what he needs right now. While I'm sure Molly would like to have a reason to remodel the Burrow, I don't think she was thinking of from the ground up!"

Bill paled for a moment, then nodded his head emphatically. "Agreed. I'll tell them that they can only send you a letter if you send them one first. Just make sure you tell Hedwig to wait for their replies when you do write, ok? You've never had to really experience Mom when she gets all wound up!"

Harry laughed. "Deal!"


	12. Emotions on High

Chapter 12

Harry stopped by a corner grocer on the way back to his flat. He needed a few more items to stretch out what he had in his icebox. His mind was so busy thinking about what he was going to make for supper that he failed to see the two men watching him from a display window.

The two men were part of gang that had been slowly infiltrating this area. They had been working on some of the still open stores for protection money when they had seen Harry walking down the street. The larger of the two, Hank, swiped up the money that had been laid on the counter in front of him by the frightened merchant and walked out the door. The second man, Gerry, had patted meaningfully the bulge in his jacket pocket. As he walked out behind the larger gang member he threw back over his shoulder, "We'll be back next week for the rest. Make sure you have it or your store might have some 'vandalism' problems."

Hank and Gerry were pacing Harry about three doors back for a block, deciding when to confront him. As Harry approached a large alleyway, they sped up and started walking slightly behind him, putting themselves between him and the street. With a grunt, Hank shoved Harry into the alleyway.

Harry stumbled into the alley, trying not to drop his bag. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not noticed the two toughs that had come up behind him. He saw a flash of a knife blade as he righted himself against a wall. A quick tightening in his gut heralded the flush of adrenaline through his body as he realized what was happening. The large man who had shoved him into the alley spoke.

"Yer going to give us yer wallet, Guv'nor. Nice an' slow, or me mate 'ere will stick you, wot?"

Harry put the grocery bag down on the garbage can next to him, and slowly pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He felt so vulnerable that he was disgusted. Because of the Ministry snapping his wand, a simple mugger could threaten him. As he was reaching out the wallet, the whispering voice he had heard in his head before, spoke.

"A hero only dies one death, a coward dies thousands. How many times do you need to die before you take up the reins of your life again? You have more depth than this. I know, because I'm a part of that depth. Now, do something about these....vermin."

Harry's thoughts were speeding. He was still slowly handing his wallet to the one tough as this all processed in his mind. The voice was right. He had been afraid long enough. What's the worst they could do to him... kill him? He had already been through something worse than death while at Azkahban.

Gerry was thinking of the steak dinner they would have tonight with this rube's money when something that had never happened before occurred.

"No."

Hank's eyebrows rose in disbelief. The mark in front of him was less than half his size, Gerry had a knife and would be able to slice him up even if he wasn't there to back him up. Was this guy crazy?!

Harry saw the confusion in the two tough's eyes. He slid back into his calming techniques and pulled the adrenaline energy that his body had generated in a flight or fight response. Funnelling it into his chest, he imagined it sweating out to bead up on his skin, then spread over like a second layer, flexible but impenetrable. Time seemed slowed. The two gang members in front of him had started to move, one to grapple with him so the other could cut him. Harry's body moved without him really thinking into the forms of his Tai Chi movements. Time sped up. There was a pull on his arm, as he brushed by the two muggers. He swept around and as his stride took him past, his arms gracefully moved through the forms he practiced in the park. His mind stayed focussed, and calm was overlaying the entire ballet of movement. Through it all, Harry could see the ley lines he was weaving around him in flows that seemed more like natural surges than manipulated power.

Hank suddenly found himself on the ground, his arm screaming in pain. Gerry was whimpering somewhere to his left. Slowly pushing himself up, he could see blood bubbling up from Gerry's mouth as the light went out of his eyes. The large handle of his knife was sticking up from the side of his chest. How? Hank was sure that Gerry had carved the knife across the little man's chest! Suddenly, a flash of red hot pain screamed though his body. Through tears in his eyes, Hank could see the mark grinding a boot down on his broken arm.

"Ok, `Guv'nor.` I don't think you should be seen around here anymore. If I see you ever again, you will suffer something worse than your most horrifying dreams." As Harry looked into the tough's eyes, he could feel the dark presence observing. On a whim, he pulled it to his eyes and glared at the gangster.

Hank saw the man's eyes go flat. Terrors and gibbering horrors flitted in those eyes. Warmth flooded his pants as his bladder let loose. Using the last of his will, he turned his gaze away.

Harry turned, picked up his grocery bag from the bin, and strode out of the alley.

As he closed the door to his flat, his knees started to shake. Harry dropped the bag he was carrying on the counter as he rushed to the washroom. He barely made it to the commode before he spewed the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He had made it back to his building before he started to feel the shakes.

After several minutes of nausea, Harry cleaned up the washroom. As he was stripping his clothes off, he noticed his shirt was cut from armpit to armpit. He quickly showered and brushed his teeth to get rid of the lingering smell of bile. With a sigh, he looked at his reflection in the small mirror. The face looking back at him was drawn and pale. He splashed some warm water on his face, dried off and went to the living area to start on supper. Hermione would be arriving in about 40 minutes.

Harry climbed the stairs to the roof garden and harvested some fresh herbs, a few potatoes and greens, and a small handful of baby carrots.

"_These should go nicely with the roast I have."_

As he cleaned up and tended to the greenhouse watering system, he gradually was able to put the afternoon's encounters out of his mind. He returned to his flat and washed up the vegetables. As he was cutting the potatoes for the pot, the buzzer beside his door rang. Harry dashed down the stairs to the front door and saw Hermione waiting for him just inside the security grate. Olivia had let her in and was expertly questioning her. Harry hung back just out of Hermione's sight and listened for a moment.

"So, Miss Granger, is it? How do you know James?"

"We went to the same boarding school together, in Scotland. I've known him since we were eleven."

"He's such a nice boy. You make sure he gets out more. He spends a lot of time puttering about on the roof garden. The whole building enjoys the fresh vegetables, but he really needs to enjoy life more. Such a serious boy."

Harry cleared his throat as he stepped around the corner. "Hello Olivia. I see you've met my supper guest. Was your walk over pleasant, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Olivia was nice enough to let me in out of the chill while you came down. It was nice to meet you, Olivia."

Olivia patted Hermione's hand. "The pleasure was all mine. Don't let a nosey old lady like me keep you two from enjoying the evening!"

Hermione smiled and nodded to Olivia as she ascended the first few steps. As they moved out of earshot she looked at Harry with laughing eyes.

"You always seem to find the women who have a soft spot for strays, don't you? She's only a neighbour, and she cares for you."

Harry chuckled. "She's quite the lady. A force to be reckoned with in regards to the safety and security of this building. She takes her caretaker job very seriously. Here we are."

Harry opened the door to his flat and waved Hermione in. She slid off her coat, and hung it on the rack just inside the door. The smells of the cooking meal filled her nose, with an overtone of a smell that was distinctly Harry-like. Not overpowering, just...comforting.

Harry puttered about his small kitchen for a few minutes while Hermione re-acquainted herself with Hedwig. The snowy owl pushed herself against Hermione's hand as she stroked the feathers on her head. Leaning down to whisper to the owl, Hermione lowered her voice so that Harry couldn't hear.

"Good Job, girl. Now that we've both found him, let's not let him out of our sight."

Hedwig chirped and dipped her body in an imitation of a nod. Harry came from the small kitchen with some drinks in hand. He offered a warm butter beer to Hermione.

"I never thanked you for taking care of Hedwig for me. I can't tell you how much it meant to me."

"Oh, Harry. We got along like peas in a pod. It was tough going sometimes, but we kept each other company during the lonely times."

Harry looked over at the owl. A sad smile was on his face as he spoke, "Yes. She's very good at that. When I was staying with the Dursley's, often we only had each other. But we got through that together, right girl?"

Hedwig hopped across the perch on the back of the couch and preened Harry's hair. He laughed and held up the owl treat he had been hiding in his hand. "She always knows when I have one for her."

Hermione's eyes were filled with tears. She tried to change the subject by inhaling the wonderful smells that were coming from the kitchen. "What have you got roasting in the oven? It smells heavenly!"

"A bit of beef, some fresh vegetables, and shortly I will be putting the Yorkshire pudding in to bake. I hope you're hungry?"

While Harry and Hermione ate, he told her about his trial and the years in Azkaban. As he was speaking about how alone and confused he felt when he was released he stopped and stared at the plate in front of him. Hermione reached over and took his hand in hers. With a steady squeeze she said, "I'll never let you go. I've been looking for you all these years, and now that I... _we've_ found you; we will never let you go. I missed you Harry."

Harry looked up at her and the depth of loss in his eyes caused her breath to catch. She swallowed and slid her chair around the small table to sit beside him, rather than across from him. She gathered him into her arms and held him as he cried. His tears flowed for a few more minutes, and gradually as he calmed Harry felt as if he was finally ok. He now knew in his heart that if Hermione hadn't abandoned him, then none of his other friends had either.

With a small genuine smile, he said, "Thank you, Hermione. I think I needed that. Excuse me a moment, would you?" Hermione nodded and watched as he went to the small water closet and washed the tears away from his face. She gathered the dishes and started cleaning them.

Harry emerged from the washroom looking like he had when she had arrived, but with some more color in his cheeks. While he didn't have the sparkle of mirth in his eyes, it was a start. Harry and Hermione finished the dishes and sat down at the table to have some tea and cake for afters.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at Hermione. "I ran into Bill Weasley today at Gringotts. I made a promise to him that I would write to Ron, Ginny and their parents. I really don't know how to start. Would you help me? You were always great at this kind of thing."

Hermione grinned and nodded her head. "Of course! Honestly! All this time and you're still getting me to help you with your homework!"


	13. Demonstration

Chapter 13

Harry was arranging the window display containing his new wands, and a few wand cleaning kits when the small bell that was attached to the front door rang. Mad Eye stumped into the store, and walked up to Ollivander, who had been working on a ledger at the front desk.

"Ah! Alastor Moody! What can I do for you today? In need of a wand holster? Cleaning kit?"

"Not today. I was wondering if I may borrow your protege for a few hours. I have some business and he would be useful."

Ollivander looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat and looked back to Moody.

"One would presume I would get him back in one piece, and mostly whole?"

Moody's eye swiveled to focus on the shop keeper. A stuttering laugh filled the room. "Yes. Mostly. No Guarantees."

"James? Retired Auror Moody requires your assistance. I will expect you back tomorrow morning at your regular time. I suggest you take your wand tools and some extra materials with you. One never knows when a bit of Acromantula silk will come in handy? And keep a record of any wand related duties he has you do. I will submit a bill later."

Harry nodded and hurried to get his kit. Slipping a sweater on to ward off the chill morning, he followed Moody out of the shop.

"How did you do that? Get him to let me go with you?"

Moody was moving towards the Leaky Cauldron at a fast pace, and Harry almost had to run to keep up. "Ollivander has been around for a lot longer than you or I. He knows much more than he lets on. I wouldn't be surprised if he knows who you really are… He just respects your privacy enough to leave it alone. Now keep up! We have a lot to do today."

Harry puzzled though what Moody had said as he followed him to the Cauldron.

Five floo trips later, one of them under a silencing charm so he couldn't hear the destination, Harry tumbled to a stop. As he picked himself up and checked his equipment bag, he looked around at this obviously secret location.

The room was akin to a huge gymnasium. There were a number of younger people who were practicing casting various jinxes, charms and hexes. In one corner a pair was dueling using only transfiguration based spells. In the other, two people were staring at each other intently, locked in a battle of Legilimency versus Occlumency.

Moody waited while Harry accounted for all of his tools. He snapped his fingers and shouted at the wizards and witches in the room.

"All right! Now you're really going to see some magic! You Auror trainees need to know how to care for the one thing that will never let you down. Your wand! This is Ollivander's Journeyman Wand maker. He has been sent by the old man himself to see how well you have been caring for your wands. He will ask you questions, and you WILL answer them. You will be called over one by one to this corner. Do not dawdle when your name is called. Is that understood?"

The room's occupants all burst forth in one voice, "Yes, Sir!"

Harry stepped over to Mad-eye's side. He spoke quietly as he watched the activity in the room ramp up another notch, obviously due to the old Auror's presence.

"Moody… What the bloody hell am I doing here? I never agreed to this!"

Alastor Moody's real eye fixed on Harry as his magical one moved across the room looking for threats. A smile threatened to break out across his face as he replied, "Are you a wand maker, or a flunky?"

Harry's face burned red with anger. He threw a dirty look at Moody and proceeded to set up his tools on the table in the indicated corner. He could feel the eyes of the auror trainees on him as he worked. Putting them out of his mind using some minor relaxation techniques, he snatched the parchment from Moody's outstretched hand and read the first name.

"Ackerly!"

A young man trotted over and carefully placed his wand on the black velvet that was spread on the table. Harry picked up the wand, carefully measured and weighed it. Finding some parchment with forms for recording the information, he proceeded to catalog the wand.

"Trainee, when did you last care for your wand?"

"Last night, Sir."

"Nicely done. It is in perfect condition. Stand still while the measure does its job."

Harry focused his sight on the trainee as the tape took meaningless measurements. He could see a rope of energy linking the wizard to his wand. Nothing stood out. The tape dropped into his hand as it finished. Harry wrote his comments on the sheet and stamped Olivander's seal on the bottom.

"Thank you, trainee. You may return to your training."

As Harry waited for one recruit to finish a dueling exercise, he took the opportunity to sit back in his chair and relaxed his eyes. The dance of the magic was mesmerizing as it pulsed around the wands, danced through the air, and even thrummed across the wards. Harry could see several recruits who would benefit from some additional coaching with their wand movements. His next customer was one of them.

The young man set his wand down on the table and stood with his arms crossed. His disdain for Harry was plainly displayed on his face.

"Hurry up! I have more important things to be doing that toadying to the likes of you!"

Moody's eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch as he listened to the recruit abuse Harry.

"When did you last care for your wand?"

The trainee sneered and retorted, "My elf usually polishes and cleans it for me. I have other more pressing duties to attend."

Harry looked at the young ponce standing in front of him. The burning desire to put him in his place was like bile in the back of his throat. "Perhaps you should set aside those duties until you learn how to correctly cast that stunner you were just poorly executing?"

The young man's face blushed a bright red. He was sucking in a breath to berate Harry when Moody stepped between the two of them.

"I suggest you take your wand and go back to your practicing, young Mr. Aubrey. Seeing as your father is still missing, and you need to support your flagging family, you should be more concerned with your own performance, and less with others. Besides, Mr. Black would barely break a sweat teaching you a lesson if you were to challenge him here and now. Off you go!"

Moody sat back down, off to the side, and watched Harry work. Potter was efficient and ruthless. One student, Eleanor Branstone, brought a wand to him which had a crack along its spine. The crack was virtually invisible, but would rupture if a magical strain was put on the wand. He had berated the young lady, and restricted her from using it until it could be repaired. Moody pulled her aside as she walked towards the other trainees.

"Do you know why he was so harsh on you, girl? Do you understand why this is so important?"

Eleanor's face was red with anger and embarrassment. "No! It's fine! I've been using it all day and it's been working perfectly! He's just milking the ministry for money!"

The grating laugh that erupted from Moody's throat stopped the entire room in its tracks. The trainees all watched as he spoke to Trainee Branstone.

"Mr. Black? Would you assist me for a moment? Ms. Branstone is questioning your findings. Would you kindly give your wand to Mr. Black again then step back to the wall, Ms. Branstone?"

The trainee glared at Harry as she passed her wand to Harry. Moody waved a group of students away from the targets that were floating across the far wall. A few waves of his wand and he had some protective dueling shields in place. With a nod, he motioned to Harry.

"Please, Mr. Black. Cast the strongest spell you can at the targets. Hold nothing back, but no Unforgivables, please?"

Harry smirked at Moody. He knew exactly what was about to happen. The wand would rupture and the spell would fail at best. Not something that anyone would want to have happen while in a fight for their life. Moody wanted strong, did he? Harry's anger rose in his chest. He could feel the darkness that floated around his core watching.

The trainees saw the journeyman settle himself. He visibly relaxed each muscle in his body, one group at a time, until his stance was loose.

Trainee Aubrey spoke, "What's this, Moody? Is he a squib?" Several other auror students began to make catcalls.

Ezekial heard the comment and Harry could feel a pulse of childlike glee as the entity snatched control from him. The ley lines that flowed near the training center weren't as strong as the ones above the Alley, but they would do. Ezekial reached out with his mind, and tapped the closest one. Pulling it down and grounding it to Harry, he could feel the power filling their reserves.

Several of the trainees started to sense that they had made a mistake taunting the journeyman. They backed up, and cast their own shield spells.

Ezekial could see the weaves of the spells being spun. Harry nudged aside the control for a moment and tapped the cords that powered them. A small twist ensured the Auror students would remember this day for a long time to come. Let them wonder why they all had blue buttocks! He then slipped back and watched Ezekial worked.

Power built. Over what seemed an eternity, but in reality was only ten seconds, a hum gradually built, until it reached an almost painful level. The grin on Moody's face had reached epic levels and would leave emotional scars on all who saw it for their entire lives.

Ezekial pulled Harry to the front and forced him back into control. "**You** need to do this, not me. Use the power; do not let it flee from you. Revel in its response. Don't let it guide you, but direct it yourself. Show these pups what you learned in the DA: Control your fear, control your magic, control your surroundings, and you will not lose!"

Harry smoothly flowed into the first form of his Tai Chi exercise. He shaped the gathered power, preparing and melding it into the form it would need to take when he cast it. Using a finger of energy, he wove a reinforcing brace across the crack. It wouldn't prevent the rupture, but would protect his hand and direct the spell down range.

With a snap he drove the wand at the target.

"Confringo!"

A thunderous blast shook the building on its foundations. The flash of light that erupted from the end of the wand looked less like a spell, and more like the shock wave from a massive explosion that had been guided down a conduit. Dust rained down from the ceiling for several seconds after the rumbling stopped. The targets and most of the wall were gone. A quidditch field could be seen through the hole.

The training hall was silent. Not a single person moved. Mad Eye took two steps forward and gently pulled the ruined wand from Harry's hand.

"Thank you Mr. Black. Would you please call the next trainee?" He turned to the staring students. "The rest of you get busy fixing that wall! When you're done, and Mr. Black has had his turn with you, hit the showers!"

Harry shook his head to clear it, made a small mocking bow to Moody and returned to his table.

"Ms. Branstone. Would you come here and look at this wand?"

The clearly shaken young woman stumbled away from the wall she had been leaning against in the wake of Harry's spell. Her eyes opened wide and choking noises came from her mouth at the sight of the wand. The end was smoking, and a long black char line could be seen along where Harry had indicated the crack to be earlier.

"While I don't believe you could muster that much power for a single spell, over the period of a prolonged duel, say two or three minutes, you would have found yourself literally disarmed when your wand failed. And, I would think, dead a few moments later. You will run 50 laps around the track while you think about that, shower, change and go to Ollivander's for a replacement wand. As it was your own poor maintenance that caused the failure, you will pay for its replacement, not the Ministry. Understood?"

The young woman straightened up, looked Moody in the eye, and snapped off a salute.

"Clearly. I'm sorry I questioned you… and him."

Mad-Eye nodded and waved her away. "Dismissed."

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. The rest of the trainees were respectful of the journeyman wand maker. Several asked intelligent questions about their wands, and what they could do to take better care of them. As Harry finished with the last student, Moody walked up and handed him a cold Butter beer. With a sigh, he sat next to Harry.

"What did you think of them?"

"For the most part, they seem to be honestly trying."

Moody snorted and his magical eye swirled around to point at Harry. "They're terrible. Wouldn't last one minute against a real Death Eater."

Harry took along swallow of his drink. He sat quietly as Moody seemed to look through him. "No. Why did you bring me here? It wasn't just to measure and weigh their wands."

"You, my little journeyman wand maker, are one of the best instructors in Dueling and Defense that Hogwarts had ever seen. The OWL scores for that year, at least the ones that were a part of your little group, were some of the highest ever graded. You and five other students fought a greater amount of inner circle Death Eaters to a standstill. The only reason you didn't win that night in the ministry was the fact you were using non-lethal spells!"

Harry slammed the bottle he was holding down on the table. Foam spilled up and out of the neck. "My wand was snapped! I was thrown in Azkaban for ten years BECAUSE of that night! I was tortured by nightmares, and dementors. I've finally started to live something of a normal life, at least as normal a life as possible being a wizard, and you want me to pick up where I left off? Forget it!"

Harry gathered his equipment and started slamming it into the case. Moody watched as the young man's anger tapered off. He sipped at the drink in his hand for a few minutes.

"I'll respect this decision for now. But you know that sooner or later, Voldermort will come looking for you and you will have to fight… fight or die. When you floo out, use the green powder. It will take you directly to the Leaky Cauldron." Harry was walking towards the floo when Moody said, "One last thing….."

Harry stopped, but did not turn around.

"Did you ever think to make yourself a new wand? The law states that a convicted criminal cannot BUY a new wand, not that he can't make himself a new one. Think on that."

Harry threw the green powder into the fireplace and stepped in.

* * *

Harry was concentrating on his current project, a wand made from teak. He had been staring at the grain for almost an hour before getting the feel of the wood. Ollivander stepped behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"James, you seem distracted. You've got the shop so clean it sparkles, and all of the wands have been counted, documented and filed twice. You're spending way too much time with an old man like me. Why not go out and wander Diagon Alley for a few hours? Pull your thoughts together?"

Harry sighed. He truly hadn't been able to concentrate since sending Hedwig with the letters for Ron and his family. Moody's impromptu defense demonstration had left him with more questions than answers. He had been stewing over it and going in logic circles that he had come to believe they wouldn't want him back, and he would be put in Azkaban again. It was all rubbish of course, and he knew it, but all the same…

"Ok. I'll take a few hours. If you need me, send my owl to get me, please? She looks so peaceful napping on her perch that I'm loathe to disturb her." Ollivander smiled and waved Harry away.

Harry walked along the alley for about ten minutes, without really seeing anything. There were a surprising number of witches and wizards out and about today. Normally the alley was somewhat empty, mostly due to fear of Voldemort and the random attacks of the Death Eaters. He had gotten to the end, close to The Leaky Cauldron. With a shrug, he turned and started walking back along the alley.

He was staring at the ground as he was walking. Much of the Alley's advertising was subdued enough that he could ignore them in his musings, but one shop was garish enough to break through his meandering thoughts, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Without completely thinking about what he was doing, he pushed the door open and entered the shop.

As he walked in, what felt like a bucket of extremely cold water poured over his head. His eyes snapped closed, and he could feel the drops trickling through his hair and off his ears. With a slam, the door shut behind him, pushing him into the shop.

The first thing through his mind was, "I'm surprised! I would think the twins would come up with something not so….ordinary!" But as he opened his eyes he saw that there was no water. He was dry and the feeling of being soaking wet disappeared!

"Ah! Did you like the Dehydrated Dousing Doorknocker? It's one of our newest products! Simply place the rune stone on top of any doorway, and the next person through will get a cold, yet dry surprise! If you are feeling devious, the slamming charm can be upgraded to actually knock the person from their feet!"

Harry looked at the salesman in front of him. It wasn't one of the twins, but seemed to be a kindred heart. Only a true blue prankster would be happy working in a store like this.

"It's brilliant! How much are they?"

"A galleon for one, or ten for eight! But you had better get them soon! They're selling quickly through the owl order catalog!"

Harry glanced around the store, trying to find one of the twins. "I think I'll look around a bit more first. I may want to get some other things." The salesman nodded and went to assist a matronly looking witch with an antidote to a Fever Fudge from the skiving snackbox.

Harry wandered the aisles, looking at some old familiar items, and a few new ones. He shook his head and grinned when he saw one bin labeled "U-NO-POO". Snorting in suppressed laughter, he approached the counter at the back of the store. Standing behind it was a pretty younger witch. She was glancing through a Witch Weekly as he stepped up to the counter.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for George or Fred Weasley? I understand they are the owners of the shop?"  
The witch didn't even put down her magazine to answer. "I'm sorry. Mssrs Weasley are very busy and cannot come to the counter to speak to just anyone off the street. If you wish I could put in a request for an interview."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken about why I'm here. I'm a personal friend."

The witch put down the magazine and gave Harry a once over. With a snort she said, "I'm sure you are. Just like every other person off the street who comes in here. I'll tell you what. They are in the back room. If you can guess the password to open the door, I'll let you go back. But let me warn you… if you guess wrong it won't be good. They have the door charmed and hexed in such a way that is unmentionable. And don't bother asking the salesman or trying to trick me. We don't know what it is. Got it?"

Harry nodded and stepped around the counter. The young witch watched him with a small grin on her face. The whole store was quiet as people watched. Obviously, this was something that happened fairly regularly. Harry looked at the large oak door. It was etched with the words, "Moony, Padfoot and Prongs: We owe them so much." Above the names were small carvings: A Wolf, a Dog, and a Stag.

Harry swallowed. George and Fred had always declared their reverence for the Marauders. With a small grin he leaned forward and whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" The door clicked and creaked open. Harry turned around. The witch at the counter was gaping like a fish out of water. Harry winked and stepped through the door.

His first impression of the back room was a bank office. There were shelves of books, and a couple desks pushed together so the occupants could look at each other while working. The papers on the desks were stacked perfectly. Off to one side was a wizarding wireless quietly playing muzak. The door clicked shut and one of the two redheads working at a desk looked up.

"Well! It seems someone has managed to guess the password finally, brother dear! Come in! Come in! Sit down, make yourself comfortable!"

Harry took a step forward and stopped. He was at a loss for words. His face lit with a crooked grin. "Hello Forge…Gred. Have you forgotten your primary investor already?"

George turned in his chair so quickly that he fell off the edge to the floor. His brother shot up and ran over towards Harry. His hands grabbed Harry by the shoulder and he stared into bottomless green eyes. It was then he knew.

"Fred! Get up, you oaf! Our little adopted brother has come home finally!"


	14. Confrontations

Chapter 14

Harry's reunion with the Weasley twins was surprisingly relaxing. While most people would consider the twins stressful, the time Harry spent with them had always been more like what he would expect it would be like with family. They had quickly accepted him back, no questions asked. He could see the glances at each other, and knew they were itching to know what had happened to him but were quite simply happy he had returned. Both Fred and George knew that Harry would open up to them when he wanted to. If they pressured him, he would clam up and possibly disappear all over again.

Over the next hour, Harry, George and Fred talked about old times and what everyone was doing. Harry mentioned knowing about Ginny's marriage, and meeting Bill several days before. As he sat there laughing with the jokesters, Harry's chest started to loosen. The apprehension he had felt about seeing his friends again was melting away. He actually felt happy.

"Guys, I want you to keep this quiet. I don't really want to announce my return just yet. As far as anyone knows, my name is James Black. I work at Ollivander's as his journeyman wand maker. I'll stop by once a week to visit, but don't send me any owls, ok?"

Fred and George nodded with enthusiasm. This was a prank to put all other to shame. So be it!

"Harry, we have a little surprise for you."

George unlocked a desk drawer and carefully unwrapped a small item that had been swathed in cloth. He handed Harry a small wooden box. It was the size of a cigar humidor, and had an elaborate silver hinge and clasp. On the top was an inlaid sterling plate with the image of a Stag, Wolf and Dog all playing, surrounded by a wreath made from lilies.

"Sirius had us running around doing things for him since he couldn't leave headquarters to do it himself. To tell you the truth, we don't really know what's inside either. We just delivered sealed letters to various people and then this showed up by owl delivery a few days after you…. well… disappeared. The note with it was from Sirius. He wanted us to give this to you on your birthday, from him."

Harry sat dumbstruck. His eyes filled and tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. Fred and George squatted down and enveloped him in a Weasley hug. After a few moments they leaned back. Harry could see the unshed tears in the brother's eyes. Small sad grins were all that anyone could muster.

Harry knuckled his eyes. With a snort, he craned his head around to try to check his back. With a grin he said, "Always have to be careful around you two." That was enough to set all three of them laughing again.

Harry glanced at the clock on the wall, and realized he had been in the shop all afternoon. With a start, he jumped up and started towards the door to the front of the shop.

"I have to get back and help close up the shop! I'll be back next week, maybe a little earlier. You guys… Thanks. You're one of the few things in my life that I know I can depend on." With a quick grin, he closed the door behind him.

George and Fred sat down on their chairs. After about ten seconds of looking at each other and trying to stifle the grins they burst out laughing.

"How long do you think before he realizes the seat of his pants is invisible?"

"I give it about ten minutes. Maybe fifteen! Mr. Ollivander can be a real hoot sometimes. You know those wands that turn into rubber chickens? He's the one who suggested it to me!"

In the front, the salesman and counter attendant both rushed to close the shop. When the twins laughed like that, it was always a good thing to be out of sight.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy had been summoned to the Dark Lord. Voldemort had been quiet of late, many of his commands coming through Bella. Malfoy's face turned up into a sneer. He would show them, they would all cry out in pain as he crucio'd them after he brought Potter to the Dark Lord. Now if he could just find him!

He approached the inner sanctum. Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, he mentally prepared for the meeting. A slight twitch brought his clothes into perfect alignment. He strode into the chamber wearing his haughtiness like a mantle.

A fully robed figure, with the cowl pulled up sat in the throne. The Dark Lord's face was hidden in the shadow of his robes. Lucius dropped to his knees in front of the figure. Keeping his eyes down, he spoke.

"I come as you summoned. What does my lord wish of me?"

"Lucius... I want you to use your ministry connections and investigate an incident that happened at Gringotts a while ago. Get all the information you can. Specifically who was involved, and where they are now. Also, send young Draco to take care of the wandmaker. He's been a thorn in my side for too long."

"As you wish, My Lord." Malfoy stood and had begun to back away from the Dark Lord.

"And Lucius… Find where the mudblood Granger has been hiding. She's left Hogwarts and is no longer protected by the wards. We have some unfinished business. Now go. And be quick about your tasks!"

Lucius strode from the hall, his mind whirling as he tried to discover a way to manipulate this new turn to his advantage.

* * *

Bill Weasley sat at his parent's table with his head in his hands. Molly had started into him as soon as he had shown up. As a testament to how upset she truly was, Molly Weasley had burned supper for the first time in her life. She was hurriedly putting together something to replace the charcoal bricks that used to be chicken legs as she shouted.

"Honestly! I don't know what we did wrong in raising you, but you should have called us as soon as you heard from Harry! Arthur only just found out when he got home, and I'm afraid what Ginny will do when she finds out! And why can't we go and get poor Harry?! From what I can tell in his letter, he needs someone who loves him now, not to soak in his own misery!"

Bill sighed and allowed his mother to reach the crescendo of her tirade. His father sat at the end of the table, his eyes alight and a small grin playing across his face as he watched Molly dash from stove to table. Bill glared and mouthed, "Help me!" at his father.

"Now Molly. Bill was doing what Harry asked. As hard as it is to get it through our heads, Harry is no longer a boy. He's a man, and has the right to privacy. If you want to write him, wait until Hedwig comes again. Bill said Harry will write again soon. Use your persuasiveness to get him to come to the Burrow."

Molly stopped her headlong rush around the kitchen and frowned in thought. Her face lit in sudden inspiration.

"Bill… you and Fleur will come to the Burrow for your birthday supper. When we send Harry an invitation, I doubt he will refuse. Just to make sure….. Yes. Hermione also!"

Bill just sighed and furiously thought how he was going to break it to his wife that they would not be going to The Blakes Restaurant. Gringotts had managed to get him reservations as part of his reward for the good review he had. Normally it was a six month wait. Maybe he could trade them for a favor from a co-worker…

* * *

Harry sighed as he took off his coat. The weather had been holding, but it looked like the light snow would soon turn to sleet, and fill the streets with slush. He examined his shoes and made a resolution to find some winter galoshes soon.

After he had warmed up a bit, and fed Hedwig, Harry sat at his small desk. The box that the twins had given him had been like a ten ton weight in his pocket. His mind had been running through what could be in it since he had left WWW. He sat staring at the etching on the lid for several minutes. Rubbing his eyes, he sighed.

The box had been made from cherry, and seemed to be all one piece, as there were no joins at the corners. The silver hinge and clasp had no keyhole. Harry knew he would have to figure out the keyword or wand movement to open it. Sitting back, he thought. Sirius would have used something that was easy to remember, but hard to guess.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"

Harry sat blinking at the inanimate box for several seconds. With a snort he started to laugh. Sirius was always a prankster. Even to the last. Harry sat back and fell into deep thought. As he looked at the top of the box, he saw something he had failed to notice before. A hippogriff etched into each of the corners of the lily wreath, as if to be holding it aloft. On the back of the hippogriffs were two riders, a boy and girl. Harry smiled in vague remembrance of that wild ride.

Hermione had screamed the entire way, while Harry had felt invigorated. When Sirius had left, Harry had stood there waving until the speck disappeared into the sky. Harry wiped an errant tear from his cheek, and sat forward.

"Buckbeak."

The etching on the silver plate seemed to flow for a moment, and the picture came to life. With a small click, the latch popped open. Harry lifted the lid and looked in the box. There were several things, as the inside of the box was quite a bit larger than would appear. On the top was a small envelope that had only his name written on the front. Harry opened it and started to read.

_Harry,_

_Happy Birthday, pup! I can't believe you're growing up so fast. It's a good thing we had the "Little Wizards" talk a few months ago, isn't it? All kidding aside, you've grown into a young man that your parents would be proud of. I know I am. _

_Now, on to the good stuff! Presents! This box contains a few of the things that I believe you will need over the next few years. Your father and I discussed many times what we would have liked to have when we first moved away on our own. In accordance to his wishes (and a reluctant Lilly!), here they are:_

_A set of dress robes with a built in sizing and cooling charms. One can never know when one will have to sit through some stuffy job interview, or need to look slick for the ladies. I also added a lifetime guarantee cleaning charm._

_The Marauder's Manual. James, Remus and I put this together over the years at Hogwarts. Some of it is diary, some spellbook, and the rest ideas for pranks. It's your legacy, use it wisely!_

_The Compleat Booke of Householde Spells. Chock full of domestic cantrips and charms to make life as a bachelor comfortable! Lilly almost hexed us into oblivion when we suggested getting the adult version. Uh… you may want to check out page 235 before you have any witches over to your place. Just a suggestion._

_A onetime use, return portkey to the most romantic place on earth. James took Lilly here for their honeymoon. Even I don't know where it is, because Lilly wouldn't tell me!_

_I've added two more things to the box. The first one is a Black family relic: A feather from a Thunderbird. As they have been extinct since the time of Merlin, it is without value. It's said to have special powers, but all I've ever been able to do with it is hold it and hear thunder rolling like it does through the clouds. Maybe you can do something more with it._

_The second thing I've added is a Gringotts' key for a special vault. It's a purser's vault, so don't lose the key! Anyone who has the key can access and withdraw anything in the vault. It's the only kind I could open for you without actually going down to the bank in person. I suggest you lose your Order tail, and check out the vault when you can._

_Harry, you are the only thing in my life that is good. You're the last link to the best friend I've ever had, and the son I wish I had. I am proud of you and who you've become. I know you would have made both James and Lilly so proud they would burst. I can almost hear James yelling, "That's my boy!" even now._

_Happy Birthday,_

_Sirius_

Harry pulled out the items and looked at each one. The robes were simple, yet classy. The dark material had an almost shiny texture to them. He carefully folded them and placed them to the side. The Marauder's manual was a sheaf of papers and notes, all held together with some twine. The spine was broken, and small doodles and Snape caricatures graced the front and back cover.

The other book was so new that when Harry opened it, he could hear the spine cracking. He set it aside and looked into the bottom of the box. Three items rested inside of it still. A small gold and silver Gringotts key, a small bronze ring, and a metallic looking feather. Harry could feel the power rolling off the feather as he picked it up. Twirling it in his fingers, he could feel the rumble of thunder in his mind.

Harry carefully packed all of the items back into the box, except the feather. There was something that he half remembered, but couldn't quite get the thought to form. Trying to dredge the thought from his memory, he relaxed and visualized the magic flows around the feather.

The Thunderbird feather was surrounded by a glowing nimbus of power. There was no cord trailing up to the ley lines above Diagon Alley. It was almost as if it was a source of magic all on its own! Harry pulled down Ollivander's book, _Wood, Wands, Wisdom and You_, and flipped to the chapter on cores. He had read through the chapter a few times trying to understand some of the arithmancy. After about a third, it had gotten to be too in-depth for him to understand. He had hoped to get Hermione to decipher some of it for him next time they visited.

He found the small footnote he had been looking for near the end of the core material chapter.

_Some core material will not fall within these equations. The beasts that they are harvested from provide a link directly to magic on their own. Few wizards can use these types of cores, as they need to have a strong will, and a deep magical strength to provide the guiding channels for the magic to flow along. Basilisk Tooth, Phoenix feather, Snorkack Hair, and Thunderbird feathers are the only ones known. As three of the four beasts are extinct, and phoenixes rarely donate a feather for this purpose, it is considered a wandmaker's masterwork to work with any of these materials. Successfully manipulating the core into a functioning wand takes skill and focus that often only come after years of practice._

Harry knew immediately that he was going to put a Thunderbird feather core into his bloodwood wand. The wood had been difficult to split. Ollivander had merely nodded sagely and warned him bloodwood was extremely hard to work with due to its density, and inherent magical qualities. Harry had taken it as a challenge. The grain had been incredibly dense, complex, and didn't seem to like the feel of the cold steel from the chisel. The only time it had had any magical life to it at all had been during the late season thunderstorm that had raged through London a few weeks back. The wood had come alive and almost seemed to vibrate in the vise. Harry had finally split the dowel that night. When he had mentioned it to Ollivander, the old shopkeeper had looked at him with a grin on his face, and nodded.

"I've been trying to shape that particular piece of wood for years. In my youth, I found the tree that I pulled that piece of wood from. I was travelling through Mexico, and had stopped in a nearby jungle to help put out a fire. It had been hit by lightning the night before, and laid on the jungle floor. The tree had been king of that patch of jungle until that night. It had known power, and power brought it down. Nature demands we close the circle. In order to keep the magic strong, it would have to be remade with power. To this day, I haven't found a core that would do it justice, so I left it alone. Who knows… maybe you will do great things with it, Mr. Black?"

* * *

Molly looked up from the bread she was kneading at the tapping sound coming from the kitchen window. She opened the window with a wave of her wand and Hedwig flew in to land on the table.

"Hedwig! You look well! And how is Harry? Are you taking care of him?"

The snowy owl huffed and grumbled in reply then stuck her leg out to allow Molly to remove the letter that was attached.

_Mrs. Weasley,_

_I would be honored to attend Bill's birthday. I am looking forward to seeing you all again. I have to say my mouth is absolutely watering at the thought of one of your home made meals! I must decline your offer to stay at the Burrow, as I have a job that I must attend the next morning._

_I need to ask you one favor, please. I am still dealing with some things that happened while I was gone. I may or may not be able to speak about them. Please do not press me for any more than I can give._

_I look forward to seeing you all again!_

_Harry._

"Please wait for a few moments. I have a reply I want to send back with you." Molly hurried over to the fireplace mantle and quickly prepared the roll of parchment that contained letters from her family to Harry. With a wand flick, the roll shrank and attached to Hedwig's leg. "There we go, love. Make sure Harry reads them right away!" With a bob of her head, Hedwig launched herself through the window and rose into the air.

Molly smiled at the majestic sight. Hedwig and Harry were meant for each other. Everything they did was graceful and filled with thought. Molly looked back at the counter and rushed to prevent the rolling pin from picking a fight with the carving knife again.

* * *

Harry was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron having some lunch. He usually ate there once a week. He would have come more often, but his budget only allowed for one meal a week. Today's special was Sheppard's Pie, a heel of fresh bread, and a glass of butterbeer. Harry was about halfway through the meal when a commotion near the entrance to the Alley caught his attention.

"Fire! Death Eaters are starting fires along the alley!"

Harry dropped his glass and scrambled towards the Alley entrance. He tried to push his way through the stream of witches and wizards that were scrambling to get away from the attack. The fleeing people were elbowing and kicking him as he pressed through. Several times, he thought he was going to fall beneath the tide of humanity, but just managed to hold on. He had to get to the shop and make sure the fire suppression charms were armed. The wood in the wands would shortly become a raging magical inferno if he wasn't there to feed power into the wards!

Ezekial was riding just below the surface. He had felt the fear surge up in Harry and was calmly monitoring the situation. Harry's response to the danger was a beginning. Up until a short time ago, he would have retreated within his mental shell. Ezekial spread out magical feelers to "taste" the spells that were being thrown around the Alley. Most of them seemed to be of some sort of destructive nature or another. He could sense something that was familiar… They were cold, and had a vague draining sensation to them…Dementors! Fury boiled up through Ezekial and flushed into Harry's chest.

Harry felt the cold aura of a dementor. His breath fogged in front of his face. The flood of people from the Alley had stopped as everyone froze in their tracks and cowered on the floor. The dementor's aura was debilitating. All Harry could feel was a raging fire burning in his chest. The heat of the righteous anger warmed him so that the drain from the dementors could barely be felt.

Harry burst from the entrance to the Alley. He could see several people hiding in the corners of shop entrances. They were trembling in paralyzed fear of the Death Eaters and dementors farther down the Alley. Several shops had the orange glow of a growing fire in their windows. Harry ran down the alley towards the wand shop. As he turned a corner, he skidded to a stop. In front of him was a pair of Death Eaters in full costume, tormenting a young witch with her beaux. The wizard had been spelled with a Petrificus Totalus, and was being forced to watch as his girlfriend was being put under Crucio. A dementor hovered nearby, waiting for the two to finish so that it could dine on the witless woman.

Ezekial's and Harry's rage howled together like two werewolves closing in on their prey. The whirlwind of anger that flowed through their two consciousnesses snapped everything into a bright focus. As Harry passed the reins of his magic to Ezekial, he dropped into a deep concentration. A phrase that he had read several days before in Ollivander's book suddenly sprang to his mind.

_Magic has always been referred to as a living thing. Many wizards and witches make lip service to this, but do not truly believe it. Wands choose the wielder. An animagus turns into the animal that matches his inner beast. The patronus represents the embodiment of the positive thoughts of a caster. Call it God, or Gaia, but magic will follow its own path, and we as magic users are ultimately at its beck and call. The lucky, or unlucky as the case may be, caster to be called upon to be the channel for magic can expect extraordinary things to happen, for good or evil._

Ezekial snapped shunts to the ley lines above filling Harry's magical core in moments. After anchoring a grounding shunt to the earth, he gathered some power and held it in Harry's eyes, ready for use. Harry took two bounding steps towards the two masked and coweled people before him. With a primordial scream that carried all of his rage and fear, he struck the man holding the Crucio spell on the young witch. The second turned and saw what appeared to be an avenging angel descending upon him, its blazing eyes full of the fury of the heavens.

The dementor surged forward to snatch the morsel that had just entered the fray. The power that was pouring off of the wizard would satiate the creature for days once it had given him the kiss. Ezekial pulled control for moments from Harry to yell out, "Expecto Patronum!"

Silver mist flowed from his body, almost like sweat boiling away to form into an intense silver aura. Flaring out, looking almost like wings framing his shoulder and head, an incandescent silver stag seemed to leap from above Harry. The solid form of the spell reared and struck at the dementor with its hooves. With a shriek, the dementor heaved away. The stag thrust its antlers into the body of the beast and raised it above its head to gore the unholy creature.

Harry's arms and legs moved from in a deadly dance. As he struck the two death eaters, pulses of magic intensified the strikes with bone breaking hexes and blasting curses. The magical ley lines that connected the wizards to their wands were flowing with spells that they tried to cast. Ezekial countered them or turned them aside; manipulating the ley lines like a spider would its web. Within moments, the two Death Eaters had been broken and beaten to unconsciousness. Harry's breathing was slow and deep.

A voice rang down the Alley, "And what do we have here?"

Harry turned towards the familiar voice. His eyes had to be deceiving him. Malfoy? Draco had been the furthest thing from his mind for the past 10 years, and now he was here, dressed in a death eater robe, his mask in his hand.

"You've made a mistake, whoever you are. Once I take you to the Dark Lord, you will know only pain! Imperio!"

Harry felt a cotton veil settle over his mind. As he gathered his will to break free he felt the dark presence of Ezekial with him. A slight calming tendril encircled him. "Let the stuck up prig dance his victory dance. Striking while he is unaware will make the task easier. Keep your guard up, but wait until my signal to attack." Harry sent an assent and relaxed slightly.

Draco Malfoy looked at the wizard in front of him. He had seen the dementors fleeing from a silvery patronus, but the spell had faded enough that he had been unable to identify the animal shape it had taken. It had been many years since someone had fought back against the death eaters, and he had to teach this one a lesson. He glanced at the two death eater recruits that lay on the ground. It was quite obvious they would need several days in a medical ward to be of use again.

"I'm sure my Lord Voldemort will appreciate your screams as he tortures the answers he will want out of you. Follow me. I have one last stop to make before we leave." With that, Draco turned on his heel and strode down the alley.

Harry watched as they progressed down the alley. Several shops had some charring on their fronts, but nothing that a few well placed spells and a bit of new wood wouldn't fix. They approached the bank. Shimmering shields were in place to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the goblin stronghold. Draco swung towards the wand shop. He entered the door, causing the small bell to ring as he opened the door. Ollivander strode out from the back of his shop brushing wood dust from his clothes. As he looked up he stopped in mid step. Draco's wand was pointed at the old shopkeeper.

"Ah. Hawthorne, ten inches. Unicorn hair core. Mister Malfoy, what can I do for you?"

"Unflappable as always, Ollivander. But this time I think you should be a little more worried. You were warned to stop providing wands to mudbloods. The aurors will not be coming to save you or your shop. I have you at wand point, and there is nothing that will save you from death."

Ezekial urged Harry to break the imperio spell holding him prisoner. He shuffled a bit to position himself into Ollivander's view. Harry threw a wink at the shopkeeper.

Ollivander smiled at Draco. "I am afraid, young Malfoy, that you are at a disadvantage. From what I have heard, you've been disadvantaged since birth. Sadly, there's nothing a lowly wandmaker like myself can do to fix that."

Draco's face lost all color as his anger built. He drew in a breath and started a spell.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Ezekial struck suddenly and without thought. The sickly green spell threads were pulled into a power shunt to the ground as they formed. Weaving the energy around the old shopkeeper without allowing it to come in contact with him was almost too much for both Harry and Ezekial to control. An eerie green atmosphere snaked around Ollivander as they struggled to control the flows. The feeling of a towering oak in a raging storm was enhanced by the visage of the death spell winding around, but not touching the old wandmaker. The backlash of power flowed back up the line and into Malfoy's wand. As fast as a candle can be blown out, the energy shattered the core and encasing wood. Draco's hand was blown off at the elbow in the resulting discharge. His eyes wide, he sat back on the ground staring at his arm as the blood pooled beneath him. His eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out. Harry slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

Ollivander pulled his wand out and cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding. He pulled open the drawer in the front desk and lifted out a roll of ribbon. Cutting off a piece, he tied it around Draco's arm above the injury. He finished the knot and tapped it with his wand. Draco disappeared as the portkey pulled him off to wherever its destination was.

Harry was gob smacked! "Where did he go?! Why did you do that?"

"James. I am a wandmaker. Not a healer. He is at St. Mungo's getting his stump treated. As to why, if I were to allow the aurors to arrest him and put him into Azkaban, it would only be a few short hours before his father had sent him home and he was back to try again. This way he will be wary of returning. He doesn't know how I defeated him. His master will no doubt continue to be cowed by my apparent power."

Harry sputtered for a few moments. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to form a coherent thought. All he could hear from Ezekial was a deep laugh. As his thoughts calmed, Ollivander sat calmly watching him. Finally, Ezekial spoke to Harry.

"I like him. He has the heart of a Slytherin, the bravery of a Gryffindor, smarts like a Ravenclaw, and honest like a Hufflepuff! Malfoy won't come near this store for a long time to come. He's pretty much guaranteed this as a safe zone."

Harry sighed and wiped his forehead. "What's with the ribbon, anyway?"

Ollivander grimaced. "Let's just say I had some troubles matching people to their correct wands when I first started. Some had…. A bad reaction."

Ollivander gave him a shove. "Now, get up! We have work to do! Shops to repair! People to help! Wands to repair! Let's go! I don't pay you to sit!"


	15. Reunion

Harry and Ollivander worked long into the night to repair wands and shops fronts. By the next morning, the Alley looked like nothing had happened. Only a few Aurors had showed up during the aftermath, and did little to assist the residents. Harry had questioned a few shopkeepers about the lack of response, but they all just shook their heads and said one word: "Fudge."

Ollivander had closed the shop the next day. Harry was told to take a few days to relax and rest up from the work he had helped perform in repairing the shops. His open and caring attitude had enamored several of the other shopkeepers with him, and he was well on his way to being an accepted resident of the Alley, and not just Ollivander's labor.

A small article in the Prophet announced only a single injury from the attack. It said Draco Malfoy had been crippled while trying to protect a young couple from the death eaters that had set the fire. Harry just snorted and threw the paper into the fireplace when he saw the story.

Harry was relaxing in his flat before he was to go over to the Weasley's for Bill's birthday supper. Hermione was going to stop by and they would floo from the Leaky Cauldron together. He had found a nice doeskin leather bag that Bill could use for his rune stones. Uncharged stones needed a soft container to prevent chipping. Once they were charged, nothing could break them short of use.

He had also picked up a nice bottle of muggle wine as an offering towards supper. Harry has been worrying about his reception since he had gotten his invitation from Mrs. Weasley. He had been rehearsing how he would act and what he would say when he finally saw them after all these years.

The door buzzer sounded, startling Harry out of his musing. He snagged his coat, and locked the door on his way out. Hedwig has left several hours before to meet him at the Weasleys. As he saw his closest friend through the grate a smile lit his face. Harry pulled the security gate shut behind him, and turned into a hug from Hermione.

As she released him from her greeting, he looked at her face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cool weather, and her hair was spilling from underneath a warm looking knit cap. Her brown eyes were full of life, and Harry felt his chest tighten.

"Harry, are you ok? I know this isn't going to be easy, but they love you. I'll be with you the entire time. It will be fine. You'll see!"

Harry smiled and nodded. He offered his arm to her and she threaded hers through the crook with a laugh.

They walked in companionable silence until they reached the Leaky Cauldron. Harry felt his chest constrict as he approached the fireplace. He dropped a couple knuts in the vase beside the floo powder urn and picked up a handful of dust. With a sickly smile towards Hermione, he threw the powder into the flames.

"The Burrow!" With a quick flash, they two of them were spinning through the system. Flashes of other grates went whizzing by, not staying in their field of vision long enough to get more than an impression of a room beyond. Suddenly, they were spit out. Harry stumbled, and in his effort to keep from falling, grabbed onto Hermione's arm. She hit the floor, and her elbow caught him just below his rib cage, blasting all the air from his lungs and knocking the breath from him for a few seconds.

As he sat on the floor, trying to breathe, he could hear a familiar voice come from above.

"Bloody hell. You're Harry all right! Come on, mate! Let's get you up so Mom can fawn all over you and get it out of her system. She's been working up a full head of steam since Hedwig arrived. Merlin! It's good to see you!"

A hand that seemed to be three times larger than Harry's head reached down, extricated him from Hermione, and pulled him up into a manly hug. Ron had grown into his feet while Harry had been in Azkaban. While he was nothing compared to Hagrid, Ron's height was exceptional compared to other people. His training had filled out his physique enough that he didn't look lanky. Harry finally was able to draw a full breath. He started to take in more of his surroundings and could feel the man hugging him drawing large sobs.

Harry wrapped his arms as far around his best friend as he could and returned the hug. After a few moments, Ron had quieted

"Ron.. I'm fine, and I'm not going to disappear again. I'm back... I'm home."

Ron pulled away and swiped his arm at his eyes. Glancing over his shoulder, Harry could see Hermione's eyes were full of tears at the spectacle of the reunion of the Golden Trio. She pulled a handkerchief from a sleeve and dabbed at her eyes as she stood up. Clearing her throat and pulling herself together she nodded to Ron.

Ron thumped Harry's back and looked him up and down. His gaze took in the aged appearance of his friend. Whatever had happened to Harry had not been easy. He could sense the scars that crossed his face were only the surface ones. He smiled and squeezed Harry's shoulder.

"Come on. Mom's in the kitchen. Dad's out in his shed, and we expect the twins, Bill and Fleur shortly. Charlie's probably coming for Christmas, and Percy is STILL a git." Hermione shot a look at Ron when he didn't say anything about Ginny and Neville. Harry was lost in his memories of the Burrow when Ron shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the kitchen.

Harry nodded and looked around the Burrow as they made their way to the famed Weasley kitchen. Not much had changed, with the exception of a few more pictures on the mantle. Harry saw several wedding pictures, but wasn't able to get more than a glimpse of them before being pulled into the next room.

"Ron! Go and get your father. The forks and knives are fighting again, and I need him to get the table set!" Molly Weasley was in her element. She commanded the kitchen with a heart full of love and steel in her voice. She looked over her shoulder to make sure he youngest son was following her directions and froze in place.

Harry stood still as he looked at the woman who was pretty much his adopted mother. Her hair was still mostly red, but had a touch more grey through it. Her face was etched with a few more wrinkles, but she looked well.

Molly set down the dough bowl she had been mixing, and seemed to almost apparate to Harry's side. She swept him up into her arms and pulled him tight against her in a motherly hug. Harry's chest loosened, and he felt the stress of worry flow away. He knew at that moment he was going to be ok.

"Oh Harry! It's so good to see you! I've made your entire favorites, and its treacle tart for dessert. And young man… don't think you will be able to get away without telling us where you've been all this time. From the looks of you, you've barely had enough to eat the entire time!"

Molly's mothering flooded Harry with a warm feeling. He didn't even feel the least bit of apprehension at having to talk about his time in Azkaban. As Molly finished her tirade and turned back to the bowl, Arthur and Ron came in through the door. The older man stopped and looked Harry over. With a nod he strode over and offered his hand.

"Welcome Home, Harry."

* * *

"Come on now Luna. You like mushy peas! Only a couple more spoonfuls and we're done."

Ginny fed the last spoonful to Luna. She was sitting up in her bed, her blue eyes vacant and staring. Ginny had been coming to St. Mungo's three times a week since her friend had been admitted to the long term care ward. Luna had been unresponsive since her father's murder. She had been forced to watch as the death eaters tortured and finally killed him. When the aurors came to investigate the dark mark in the sky and burning Quibbler office, they found her, beaten and raped. The Death Eaters must have thought her dead when she didn't respond and left her.

Ginny had been caring for the woman since. She would feed her, and read to her. The Quibbler had been burned down, but Ginny had found hundreds of back issues, and read the articles to her friend. Sometimes she thought she could see a glimmer in the eyes, but lately, it seemed like Luna had been getting worse.

With a sigh, Ginny cleaned up Luna's face and marked down on the chart how much she had managed to get her to eat. With a wave of her wand the bed was remade, and the room was tidied. Ginny pulled her coat on and walked back to her friend. Brushing Luna's corn silk hair out of her face, she leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Take care, Luna. I'll be back to see you again in a day or so. Harry is finally back and I'm going to see him tonight!"

As Ginny said Harry's name, the blonde laying in the bed started to moan. He eyes rolled around until only the whites were showing. Ginny reached down and held her friend's hand. With a wave of her wand, she signaled the healer-on-call. Healer McAvoy hurried into the room and saw the distress his patient was in.

"What happened?"

Ginny was petting Luna's hair and trying to calm her. "I don't know! I fed her, and then was saying goodbye like I always do and she started to thrash!"

Healer McAvoy waved his wand over the small woman's body and smiled. "There's something going on inside her head. This is the most response she's had to stimulus in months! Please, try to remember exactly what you said!"

Ginny looked at her friend with worry in her eyes. She thought for a moment and as the realization hit her, her eyes widened. "I had just mentioned I was going to see.... an old friend. He's been gone since before her father was…. Well, you know."

Healer McAvoy nodded. He waved his wand again and put Luna asleep. "I think you should ask this old friend to come and visit. He may be the one person that her subconscious thinks can help her cope with the psychological trauma she's been trying to process."

Ginny worriedly looked from the healer to her oldest friend. Her forehead creased in thought. When she looked back to the healer, she had tears in her eyes. "I know he'll come as soon as I tell him what's happening. He has a saving people thing."

* * *

The twins, Bill and Fleur had arrived at the Burrow shortly after Harry and Hermione. Fleur immediately pulled Harry up and kissed him on each cheek. Tears flowing and her Veela powers running unchecked, all the men in the room started drooling. Harry felt the attraction hit him as she pulled him into a hug. He started to lean into the hug, when he heard Ezekial.

"No! Weak willed fool. Don't fall into this glamor. Fight!"

The black mist roared up into Harry's mind, forcing back the Veela power that had been seeping into his consciousness. Harry stiffened for a moment as the smell of her hair, and perfume was swallowed back into the smell of supper cooking and the general home-like smells of the Burrow.

Fleur stepped back and looked into Harry's face. She blinked and her eyes widened as the realization hit her that she had lost control of her powers but also that they had not affected him as they had the rest of the room. Even her husband Bill, who had been exposed to her abilities for several years now and had built up a tolerance, had succumbed to the overload of emotion. She brought her powers under control as she released Harry from her embrace. With a clearing of her throat, and a quick tug on her clothes, she settled back into a more formal stance.

"You always were able to resist my charms, 'Arry. I'm glad to zee you are well."

Harry blinked as the black mist cleared from his mind. His face relaxed into an honest smile, and he chuckled. "Even without your Veela charms, you can turn a lad's head, Fleur."

Bill recovered from the Veela mojo first and pulled Harry into a brotherly hug. With a pat on his back, he released Harry and stepped into the kitchen to see if he could help his mother with anything for supper.

Fred and George swooped towards Harry, their arms open as if to embrace him. He quickly sidestepped and hid behind Hermione. "Oh no! Last time you two spelled my pants invisible. I walked home through MUGGLE London before I realized what you had done!"

The twins were holding each other up and laughing so hard their eyes were tearing. Even Hermione was laughing as she tried to pull Harry out from behind her.

It was at this time the fireplace roared again and Ginny stepped out with Neville. She was waving her wand across the front of her clothes to remove the soot when she spotted Harry. Her arm froze in mid swing. Her gaze was frozen on his face. She stepped forward, coming face to face with him. For several long seconds she stared into his eyes. Harry didn't move. The moment felt like an eternity to him. Suddenly he felt a stinging sensation on his face where her hand had slapped him. Then, just as fast, she was clinging to him in a hug that felt like it would split him in two.

A collective breath was released by the Weasleys. They knew that Ginny had taken a long time to get over the fact that Harry had disappeared. Now, as with all the other Weasley's, she had forgiven whatever trespasses, real or imagined, almost immediately.

Ginny let him go and stepped back to her husband. Neville moved forward to stand in front of Harry. Placing a hand on his old friend's shoulder he spoke.

"All right, Harry?"

Harry smiled a sad smile. "Now it is, Neville. Now it is."

Supper was another Molly masterpiece. The conversation revolved around everyday things that were happening in everyone's lives. Nothing was said of death eaters, Harry's disappearance, or anything else negative. After they had all had some treacle tart, the family moved to the living room. The room fell silent as they all contemplated.

It was Ron who finally broke the silence and asked the question that everyone wanted to ask but were afraid. "Harry, mate. What happened? Where did you disappear to?"

With a glance at Hermione, he started describing his last ten years. Her hand had found his as he spoke. She squeezed his in support when he came to hard parts. By the time he spoke of the good people at the hospital, everyone's eyes were wet with tears. He finished speaking and waited, looking at the floor of the sitting room. Hermione held his hand tightly, and was stroking his back with her other.

Arthur spoke. "Harry, we never stopped looking for you. The minister covered his tracks too well. Forcing the court members into magical oaths, sealing the records, and obliviating the Order member who was watching you made it impossible to track you. Please believe me, son. We looked and never gave up."

Harry nodded and cleared his throat. "I know. It took me a while to get my head on straight after being released. I still have some troubles controlling my emotions at times. Ask Bill."

Bill nodded his head vigorously. He had had his wand and several runes stones ready to absorb and redirect any magical discharge that Harry may have had. Happily, it wasn't needed.

Ginny sat forward in her seat next to Neville. "Harry, I know you're trying to sort out what's happening to you right now. I hate to pile more on top of your already full plate, but do you know what happened to Luna?"

Harry sadly nodded. He had been shocked when he had read the Daily Prophet back issues that described the fire that had destroyed the Quibbler office. The Prophet had said her father had died at the scene, but not from fire. The rest had been reported as banned from publication by the ministry. Ginny quickly filled Harry in on what had really happened to Luna and her father. With a growing horror, Harry listened.

"She's still in St. Mungo's. I go to see her a few times a week. She was doing better than she was when she was first admitted, but lately has taken a turn for the worse. Today, something odd happened. As I was leaving, I told her that I would be seeing you again. She hasn't reacted to anything except pain stimulus for months, but she started to thrash upon hearing your name. Healer McAvoy wants you to come to St. Mungo's and visit. We're hoping just seeing you will help move her out of her fugue state."

Harry's brow furrowed. He thought for a few moments. "Hasn't anyone tried legilimency to reach her?"

Ginny shook her head. "There isn't anyone strong enough to get through her shields. Forcing our way in would just cause more damage. People in a catatonic or fugue state have locked their conscious mind away for some reason. The reason can be anything from a total mental breakdown, to a simple refusal to deal with some event. We think that Luna was still having troubles dealing with the death of her mother when she was forced to watch her father killed. What we need is for her to relax her shields enough to let someone in and talk to her. If she can deal with the event that is causing her to retreat, we can help her."

harry could feel the interest rolling in waves from Ezekial. Then, suddenly, they stopped. The rich dark voice spoke into his mind. "We will see this woman. Maybe she will be able to help you understand yourself." Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"When will you be going to see her again?"

"The day after next, I go around supper time and spend about an hour with her. Meet me at the shop. We're right next to the idiots store."

Harry laughed as Fred and George feigned hurt looks. "Ok I'll meet you there when Ollivander closes. Say about six? In the mean time, I seem to have a birthday present for someone here…"

Harry pulled a box wrapped with a bow from under his coat and handed it to Bill. Several more gifts were placed around him by the others as he was opening it. He made an appreciative smile when he saw Harry's gift. Ron gave him a new auror grade wand holster while the twins had gotten him some new skin tight dragon skin gloves. Molly and Arthur had wrapped up a new jumper and home stitched work robe. Ginny and Neville gave him a gift certificate for the Rune supply shop in Diagon Alley. Hermione had gone into the muggle world and bought Bill a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Thank you everyone. These are wonderful!"

The rest of the evening was filled with quiet discussions, some exploding snap, and Harry being decimated by Ron at chess. Harry glanced at the time and realized he had lost track, he had been enjoying himself so much. He thanked the Weasleys for the great supper. With a wave to Bill wishing him a happy birthday, Harry and Hermione floo'ed back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Making sure Hermione got onto the Knight Bus ok, Harry walked back to his flat. His mind deep in thought.

* * *

Harry was working on the roof garden at his building, carefully settling the benches, and planning the trellis for the ivy he wanted to have growing around the top. His idea was to have the rooftop garden look like a grotto, and have places that some of the wildlife, like birds and such, could make homes. He had an owl perch near the top for Hedwig, and any other birds of prey that may stop by, and some small garden boxes for the residents to plant their own vegetables, or flowers if they wished.

The entire garden was provided water from an old water tank on the roof, and had drainage to a pipe down to the storm drain at the street to prevent the excess rain and moisture from building up and collapsing the roof.

As Harry placed the last patio stone in the sitting area, he heard the door open. Looking over, he saw Olivia standing in the doorway. She had not been up to the roof since Harry had started converting it to more of a garden. Her face was alight with surprise and he could tell she was taken aback by the changes he had made.

"James! I had no idea! This is simply amazing. Last time I was up here it looked like a run down trash pile, with broken glass and rusty pipes! Now you have a lush greenhouse, and the sitting area is comfortable and clean!"

A quick glance confirmed Olivia had come up to the roof to peek in on his project. Harry brushed off his hands on his pants, and used the towel he had nearby to sweep some of the dust off the bench he had just finished installing. "Care to take a seat? I'll describe what it will look like when it is done."

Olivia shuffled over to the bench and sat down. "When it is done? I thought it was! What else do you have planned?"

"Well, ivy around the perimeter to hide the edge wall, some perennials in the beds and boxes around the benches. Over here, a small bush in the center, with a bird bath pond around it. I was also thinking about a bird house or two on top of the green house to attract some friends to share it with."

Olivia looked around and shook her head. She smiled as she looked at Harry. "You'll spoil us with this! We thought you would just clean it up and put some picnic benches up here. This... this will be our own slice of nature in the city!" Some movement drew her attention up to the perch that Hedwig sat on. She pointed up and said, "It looks like you already have a visitor."

Harry's carefree laugh made Olivia's smile even bigger. "That is my close friend, Hedwig. Remember when I asked if I could have a bird? That's her. Would you like to meet her?"

Olivia's eyes grew large and she seemed a little shocked. "THAT'S your friend? Well, I had thought a parakeet or lovebird was what you were talking about. But…All right. Hedwig is her name, you say?"

Harry moved to the side of the bench and called Hedwig down. The snowy owl's descent was silent and graceful as always. She landed on the back of the bench. Harry reached over and gently rubbed her head in his palm. "She's very friendly, Olivia. Would you like to touch her? She really likes to have her belly feathers stroked."

Olivia gently reached out to brush her hand against the snowy owl's breast. The feathers were soft, yet also had an almost starchy feel to them. Hedwig pushed against her hand to increase the contact. Harry sat back and watched his familiar and landlady become friends.

"She prefers to hunt on her own, and I daresay you will be hard pressed to find a rat, mouse, or wild pigeon within a few hundred meters of the building." Harry leaned down and stage whispered, "She also is a bit of a glutton for owl treats."

Hedwig chattered a scolding at Harry. Olivia laughed and turned her gaze to the young man beside her. "I believe you have just been told." Harry chuckled and held out a small owl treat to his familiar. She picked it out of his fingers and flew up to her aerie perch.

Harry looked up at her with fondness. "She's been my closest friend for a very long time. I really don't know what I would do without her."

Olivia watched James' face for a moment and smiled. She could tell the man in front of her had had a difficult life. Anything that would make him smile was worth having.

"James, I'm happy to have her here. She's as welcome to stay as you are. And it's a bonus she's keeping the mice and rats down!" James suddenly had a serious look on his face. He took a deep breath and turned to Olivia.

"May I ask you a question? And maybe some advice?"

Olivia patted his hand. "Of course! Anything, James."

"I found out that an another old friend of mine is very sick. She's in the hospital… has been for a long time. She's had a hard life, very similar to mine. Right now she's trapped in her own mind, trying to deal with something horrible that happened to her. The doctor's think I could help, but I don't know if I can. It seems like everybody I get close to gets hurt in some way. Should I go? I might just make things worse."

Olivia held his hand. "James, one thing I have come to believe in my time on this earth is that we all have karma and destiny. One relies on the other. If you are a good person, good things come to you. Not always, because that's other people's karma acting on your own. But, in the balance, you will move towards the destiny you make for yourself."

The older woman sat up and walked towards the door back into the building. "In helping another being, you help yourself. Even those who don't deserve help should be assisted in whatever small way you can, even if it means stopping them from causing more pain to another. You're a good man, James. I know you will make the right decision, whatever it is. Now, this old woman needs to go back inside and warm her cold bones with some hot chocolate!"

Harry sat on the roof for another hour, staring out at the sky, deep in thought.

**Author's note: I'm trying to build up to something, but the words don't seem to be coming as easily as I would hope. This has been a long break, but I hope to pick up the chapters a bit more again. Your comments and reviews are great! Every one gives me a little push to work on the story a bit more.**

**I'm going to try to get another two chapters up before the end of November!**


	16. Emergence

Lucius Malfoy slammed closed the office door behind him with a crash. His secretary, the forth one this month, jumped in her seat. As he stormed out of the reception area he could hear a timid voice, "Have a nice evening, sir."

The snarl on his face caused anyone who was along his route to scamper out of the way. No one wanted to be the one to delay him in whatever task he had in mind. Families had disappeared for less. Malfoy entered the apparition circle, and cracked away.

Alastor Moody stepped out from behind one of the public floo fireplaces. He had sent a fake note about a stake out and possible raid on Borgin & Burkes. He was going to get to the bottom of what had happened to Harry.

Moody stopped and looked at the secretary in Malfoy's reception area. When she glanced up at him, her demeanor changed almost immediately.

"I don't expect he'll be back for at least a few hours. Silly git has no idea he's being monitored by the Auror's. I would start on the desk, then work on the files in the cabinets. He won't let anyone touch the file drawer on the desk. If anything is in there, it will be there."

Moody nodded. "Excellent work, Branstone. Signal if he comes back before I'm done. By the way, full marks for your acting. Lucius has no idea you're not the shrinking violet you let on to be. If you can stand being his assistant for a few more days, we'll get someone else in here and get you back to the training school."

Eleanor Branstone snapped a quick salute and settled back into her role. In a weak voice, she said, "Thank you, Auror Moody."

Alastor stepped through the door and closed it. With a sigh, he started scanning the room with his eye.

*****

_Some spells do not require the wand to focus their powers. The energies are formed and woven in the caster's body, rather than externally. Passive mind and body magics such as occulemency, legilimency, and animagus transformations focus energy from within the wizard's or witch's body, not necessarily needing any from their environment. However, many people feel more comfortable wielding a wand while casting these, even though it is not strictly needed._

_Magic is called upon by the conscious or unconscious desire of the wielder. While it is possible to utilize and direct magic's essence without using a wand, only wizards or witches of focused mind and will may be able to do more than the simplest of cantrips. Consequently, this is the reason wandless or "accidental" magic is easier for young children to effect. The mind of a child is uniquely sincere and ingenious in its ability to suspend disbelief. They routinely make fantasy worlds and super-impose them on reality, truly believing what they have created in their mind is real, if just for a moment. Strong emotions, such as fear or anger can also trigger the focus needed to cast without using wand or verbal cues. As wizards and witches age, this skill becomes less used, and as with any other ability, deteriorates without practice._

_- Passage from "Wood, Wisdom, Wands, and You"_

*****

Harry had been contemplating the Thunderbird feather for most of the afternoon. Mr. Ollivander had left him in charge of the store for the day while he was attending to some wizengamot duties. Aside from a couple wand polishing kit sales, the store had been quiet.

He reclined on the chair, deep in thought. Using his mage sight, he could see the flows of power spinning around the feather. It was almost mesmerizing. He had mentioned using it to Ollivander as a core for the blood wood wand. The old shopkeeper's only reaction had been a raised eyebrow.

With a sigh, he placed the feather in between two pages of Wood, Wisdom, Wands and You, and started going about closing up the shop. Glancing at the clock, he pulled on his cloak, and locked the shop for the night.

The Alley was almost deserted at this time of day. Too many witches and wizards had disappeared while walking home from a long days work, so many shops closed before day light began to fail. Harry walked quickly to towards the Twin's shop. He could see the lurid colors flashing in the window from several building's away. Nestled in next to WWW was a small, well kept store called Longbottom's Apothecary and Healing. The window display showed several bundles of herbs, tastefully arranged.

Harry blew out his breath, and pushed open the door. A small tinkling bell announced his entry. A quick glance around the shop showed that the majority of the space was taken up by shelves of bottles and jars containing various potions or salves. The shop smelled of fresh cut herbs. Harry stood for a moment drinking in the welcoming ambiance.

Neville came through the curtain from the back room. His face was a bit grimy and he had smudges of dirt across his clothes, but didn't look filthy... more of a man hard at work and unconcerned with appearances. Neville smiled as he saw Harry.

"Harry! Good to see you again! Ginny's in the back, just finishing up a batch of wolvesbane. We have a contract to make several batches each month for various werewolves in London. Remus put some of his inheritance from Sirius into a trust fund that pays for the materials and brewing. She should only be a few minutes. Come on back. I'll just lock up here and join you in a minute. There's some cool pumpkin juice on the table just through the curtain."

Harry walked to the back section of the shop. He could see many more shelves of various potion ingredients, all labeled and sorted. A small table with two chairs was set up in a cozy corner beside a closed door to another room. Neville came back through the curtain and gestured for him to sit. Pulling out the second chair for himself, Neville poured two glasses of juice.

"She locks herself in the lab, and won't come out until she's finished. She made me promise to never go into the potions lab unless it was an emergency. You remember my problems from Hogwarts?"

Harry chuckled under his breath and nodded. Buried memories started to bubble to the surface in broken pieces. Neville had managed to melt or destroy more cauldrons in the time he was at school than any other student in history. Neville laughed with Harry.

The door behind Neville opened and Ginny stuck her head out.

"Oh! You're here. Have I lost track of time? I hope you haven't been waiting long!"

Neville shook his head and turned to his wife. "No. He just arrived. Will you be much longer?"

Ginny stepped into the small back room and pulled the door closed. "I'm done. They need to cool to room temperature before I can decant the potions. I can come back later and do it. Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up and we can floo to St. Mungo's."

She hurried down the shelved hallway and turned a corner out of sight. Neville sighed and turned back to Harry.

"You know Harry. She was devastated when you disappeared. All of us were affected, but she seemed to have built her entire world up around you. The fact that you had saved her in the Chamber of Secrets had only reinforced it. It's taken a long time for her to be able to open up like this. She's devoted part of her life to helping other people and I love her for it. Luna is one of her oldest friends. Even if you can't do anything, it's nice of you to come. She's been excited ever since supper the other day."

Harry rubbed his face. He looked at Neville's open face. "Honestly, Neville. I don't know what I can do. I have even less training than you or Ginny, and don't even have a wand. I'm still trying to sort out my own troubles. I'm really not sure how I'll help."

"Just be there, Harry. That's all you ever have to do for friends. Be there and support them."

*****

St. Mungo's had changed much in the ten years since he had been there last. The paint on the walls needed to be redone, and the carpets were threadbare and worn right through in most places. All of the furniture looked like it should have been retired several years ago, and there was actually dirt packed into the corners! Indications of a lack of money were everywhere.

He and Ginny walked past the bored receptionist. They went to the stairs and up to the fourth floor. Harry glanced into a room as they walked past. He saw a young man who was sitting up in his bed. He had a crayon dangling from his hand, and a muggle coloring book on the bed table in front of him. His vacant stare was locked on the doorway.

Harry stopped in his tracks. His eyes were fixed on the man in the bed. He felt the world swirl around him and his vision receded. Harry could feel Ezekial struggling to wrest control from him as he swirled away. Blackness enveloped his sight.

_Harry felt like he was floating over a small cottage room. The fire in the mantle was burning with a sickly green glow of a recent floo traveller arrival. On the floor in front of him was a man screaming in the throes of the Crucio curse. Bellatrix LeStrange was cackling as the rope of red magic crackled over the man's body, almost looking like it was prying at his torso, eyes and mouth with small, greedy fingers._

_She let up for a moment and turned towards Harry. Bowing down before him, she spoke._

_"My Lord. His mind will break if I continue. What do you wish?"_

_A voice that Harry knew too well seemed to emit from his mouth. "Why, dear Bella. I would never deign to interfere in your fun. I know how much you adore the screams of the insane! All I ask is you make it last. He defied me, and I wish to make it known what happens to those who dare."_

_Harry's viewpoint swooped closer as Voldemort squatted over the crying man. "You were told what would happen if you did not do as you were told. Now your family is lying dead upstairs, and I leave you to Bella's not so tender mercy." As he stood and turned away he said, "When you are done, meet me back at the mansion."_

_Bella turned back to her toy. Coming out more as a hiss than as words, she spoke. "Crucio!"_

Ginny stopped and looked back at Harry with a quizzical bend to her eyebrows. She turned at waited for a few seconds as she saw him stiffen and shudder.

"Are you ok? Hey, you look awfully pale."

Ezekial took stock of what was happening to Harry. His mind was experiencing a flash back to a vision he had while in Azkaban. He needed some time to recover.

"Fine. Just thinking about all the times I've had to visit people in the hospital."

Ginny smiled sadly and reached out to take Harry's hand. She gave it a squeeze and pulled him along the hallway towards Luna's room. "We used to come and visit you all the time. I can't remember a year you weren't in with Madam Pomfrey for some reason or other."

Ezekial nodded and allowed Ginny to lead him to the room. As they entered, a doctor was just finishing up at the chart. Ginny smiled and greeted the man.

"Healer McAvoy! Nice to see you again! How is Luna doing this week?"

"Ah! Mrs. Longbottom! No changes since last week, which is good. She was slipping for so many weeks before that this is an improvement. Who's this with you?"

"Oh! This is the friend I mentioned last time I was here, his name is.." Cutting Ginny off, Ezekial stepped forward and offered his hand

"James Black. I'm a friend of Ginny and Luna's from school. I'm pleased to meet you." Ginny's expression was nonplussed for a moment before she replaced it with a smile again.

"Mr. Black? Hmm... Any relation to the Black family? I was a few years younger than one chap named Sirius? Shocking what happened to him."

"Ah... yes. A cousin. I'm told he was quite the character. He passed away several years ago trying to clear his name."

Healer McAvoy nodded. "I always felt there was something more to that. Well! I have rounds to do. If you need me I will be around on the floor."

After Healer McAvoy had left, Ginny sat down on the bed next to Luna. She gently added another pillow behind the woman in the bed, and brushed back her corn silk hair. She turned to Harry. Ezekial could see she was on the verge of tears.

"I don't know what you can do, but please... try?"

Ezekial was at a loss. He had never had to deal with soft emotions like "friendship" or "love". His entire existence was consumed by what had birthed him: Hate, fear and violence. Harry had put up the equivalent of a mental "Do not disturb" sign. Ezekial knew he could break down the barrier, but that would be a last resort.

Ginny was looking at harry. He had been just standing and staring at Luna for almost 30 seconds without saying anything. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Ezekial quickly stepped forward. He sat on the opposite side of the bed of Ginny. He fumbled through the few memories of happiness Harry had left after the Dementors. One seemed to shine through the black. Harry and Luna standing in a hallway, looking up at a pair of shoes hanging from the rafter. Summoning up a semblance of a smile, he nodded. "Yes. Just a little shocked to see her like this. She always seemed to take things in stride. It's hard to believe the girl so full of wonder at what life had to offer would lock herself away like this. She truly must have suffered."

Ezekial looked down at Luna. Her hair, which used to float around her like it had a life of its own seemed dull. He reached out and hesitantly took hold of her hand.

_Harry was curled up in a ball, his forehead touching his knees. Tears ran down his face in a relentless stream. He had felt so helpless watching the hundreds of people tortured, maimed and killed by Voldemort while he was locked in prison._

_Gradually, Harry could feel something coming from outside his cocoon. It was a mixture of confusion and growing feelings of helplessness. Harry gradually peeked out and saw one of his friends laying on a bed, needing something only he could give. Harry was surprised to see Ezekial at such a loss. With a mental shake, he nudged Ezekial and slipped back into control._

Harry grasped Luna's limp hand in both of his own. Settling down in a more comfortable sitting position, he asked Ezekial to relax their mental barriers. One at a time, they slipped them away until there was only one left. Ezekial spoke, "If we let this one go, Voldemort will be able to sense you easily and the hunt will begin in earnest. We will not be able to raise it up again. Are you sure? We will have to be remorseless in our defense, and you **will** have to confront the fact that people will die and you may be one of them."

Harry though back to what Olivia had said about karma and destiny. The prophecy had outlined his destiny, but karma would decide who would live. With this in mind Harry's resolve hardened.

"I can't leave her like this without at least trying. Do it."

As the last barrier slid away Harry felt a sharp pain in his forehead start. Over the next few seconds it peaked at a dull throb, and then leveled back at a minor pounding. He closed his eyes and relaxed back into his mind. Using only a tendril of power, he tested the magical currents in the room. He could see a major ley line running through St. Mungo's, with several tributaries branching off in various directions.

Next to him, he could sense Ginny and her wand, the shimmering blue and green colors of the flows indicating her healing and beneficial magics. Next to her was Luna. There was no wand link, only Luna's connection to the ley line. The connection was thin, barely moving enough energy to keep her alive. It looked much more like what a squib would have. He tenderly set the strand of his magic Luna's hand.

As he felt them mingle, Ezekial spoke. He sounded like he was a long way away. "I will watch your body. Be careful. I will not be able to assist you if things should go wrong." With that, Harry's awareness of this body vanished.

******

Voldemort was reclined on his throne. His eyes were half closed, much like a snake would do while sunning its self on a rock. He was far from asleep. His mind was whirling in several directions at once. One part of it was thinking about his pawns next moves in the Ministry; one was planning the next revel. Another part was contemplating a way to find Potter. Reflexively, he checked the link he had with Potter. While it had not worked in almost a decade, he still tested it occasionally.

POTTER! He could feel the brat's mind again! It was fuzzy, and barely there, but he could finally sense it again. Voldemort's lips pulled into a thin grin as his short hissing laugh escaped. He had caught a glimpse of a hospital room. St. Mungo's!

"Wormtail! Gather some of my death eaters and go to St. Mungo's. Kill everyone!"

*****

Harry felt like he was slipping down a tunnel. His senses were sliding through various states of kinesthesia. He could taste the colors and felt the smells as he traversed the conduit. After what felt like an eternity, he suddenly hit something solid. The impact felt like it drove the air from his lungs as it travelled through his entire astral body.

Looking around him, he saw only desert. It was not like any normal desert, but completely barren. This wasteland had no plants or animals. Even the sand looked sterile. The wind was so dry it felt like it was steadily siphoning energy from him.

In front of him was a huge structure. It looked almost like a medieval castle, but it had no windows or doors. The crenellations on the top were reminiscent of stalagmites or teeth, rather than the smooth shapes that would be typical. The stone was fit together without mortar in such a way that you would be hard pressed to slip a credit card between them.

Harry studied the building for several minutes. He could not see any way to get in. He knew if he stayed in this desert for too long he wouldn't have the energy to get back to his body. He tentatively reached out to touch the wall. The stone felt cold as glass.

"Hello....? HELLO?!" His voice was swallowed by the wind.

Gathering his wits, he knew that yelling at the wall wouldn't work, or else the healers would have gotten through long ago. He had to let Luna know he was out here somehow. He began to walk around the building, slowly trudging through the sand as he thought. Relaxing his mind, he looked at the magical flows. The stone was solid magic, as he expected. His own occlumency shields were more like shimmering bubbles of force, but these were just as effective.

Looking up, he could see a faint, thin line of energy coming down out of the sky. There! That would be how he would get to her. Harry sent out a strand of magic to hook into the one feeding Luna's active shields. Simply cutting it off would damage her mind in such a way that she would never recover. Much like jerking the rug out from someone's feet. Except in this case, that person was standing on the edge of a cliff and leaning out for the view.

Once he had tapped into the magic, he sent a pulse of gentle friendship through the link. He waited a few moments and did it again, this time including a memory of Luna fighting next to him in the Ministry from all those year ago.

The ground started to resonate with a low rumble. As he looked on, the stones seemed to flow around each other until a small archway was formed. Harry cautiously stepped inside.

The archway closed behind him, flowing back into place. Harry looked around in wonder. He was standing next to a garden wall that had a beautiful lawn butting against the length which went as far as the eye could see. The sun overhead was warm, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable. In the near distance was a small cottage with a garden along side. Harry slowly walked towards the cottage. As he approached, he noticed it looked in a bit of disrepair. The whitewash was faded, and the paint around the window sills was peeling away. Many of the shingles were missing. The garden was growing, but the plants seemed wilted, and sickly.

The front door opened as he was surveying the yard. A young woman stepped out into the sunlight carrying a small basket. Following her was a large cat-like creature with a button like knob on its head. She looked up suddenly in surprise at Harry.

"Oh! You aren't supposed to be here. I suppose I should be polite and invite you in. Would you care to join me for tea?"

The cat creature was staring at harry with an almost predatory look. It slunk nearer to him and sniffed the air. Its tail swished slowly like a pendulum as it investigated him. Almost as though it had made a decision, it started to purr and rub against his legs.

"Henry seems to have taken a liking to you. You should be proud. Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are rarely friendly with more than their familiars."

Harry smiled and reached down to stroke the animal. "Don't you mean their witch or wizard? I would think he is your familiar?"

"Oh no! Not at all. It's a common misconception. Anyway, shall we? I just need to gather a couple things from the garden for supper later, and we can retire to the house for some refreshment."

Luna walked over to the garden and started to gather several herbs and vegetables from its meager fare. She carefully pulled only enough to make a meal for herself and Harry, and then stood up. All the time, Harry was examining and scratching Henry behind the head. The snorkack was a mixture between dog and cat. It had some feline features, like the eyes, ears and claws, but the musculature was definitely more canine, as were the jaws and tail. This was a predator. Harry could see the cunning in its half lidded eyes even as he scratched it behind the ears. He was glad it was friendly.

Luna dusted off her pants and picked up her basket. She smiled and walked towards Harry.

"Where are my manners...? I'm Luna. This is Henry." She pointed to the snorkack as it writhed between Harry's legs.

"Luna.. I know you. You know me. I'm Harry. Harry Potter?" Harry stood and looked at Luna's face for some recognition.

Luna stood for a moment. Harry could see something pass across her face. Henry stiffened and shot to stand in front of Luna, his hair all on end and a low growl coming from his chest. Luna turned away from Harry for a moment.

"Harry...? But you don't look like Harry. You're much too old!"

"Luna, it's been ten years since I saw you last. I've aged."

"Nonsense! I've only been here for a few months! Daddy is away on one of his trips searching for more relatives of Henry. He'll be back in a few more days and I'll be going back to Hogwart's for my last year!"

Harry rubbed his face. He looked at Henry with trepidation. He knew the little animal was going to be dangerous as long as Luna was upset. He needed to defuse the situation a bit before continuing.

"Let's go in and we can talk over tea. Is that ok?"

Luna nodded and turned towards the door. She threw it open and stomped in. Henry followed, watching Harry's every step. Once inside, Harry saw the cottage was small and cozy. A bed sat in the corner, and the fireplace had several cooking hooks suspended over it, including a pot that had some soup base bubbling away merrily. Luna washed the veggies she had picked up and cut them with a knife before adding them to the stew. She threw in a few herbs and then stirred the pot. She pulled it out of the direct heat, and let it simmer.

A kettle started to boil as she finished with the stew. Harry had not seen her fill or put it on the flame. He remembered this was her mind, and anything could happen here that she wanted. It also meant anything that did happen here would hurt her deeply. He had to be careful.

Luna poured the boiling water into a teapot and set it aside to steep for a few minutes. She smoothed her slacks, and gathered Henry as he leaped nimbly into her lap. Luna cleared her throat and looked directly at Harry.

Her direct stare was a bit unnerving, as always. Harry had only been on the receiving end of it a few times before, and it only seemed to have gotten stronger with time. He sat back and thought for a moment in silence.

"What was the last thing you remember before coming here, Luna?"

"Daddy told me he was going away for a bit to deal with some business. He wasn't clear, but knowing him, it would be something related to snorkacks. He's never been gone longer than three months, so he should be back shortly."

Harry looked at the creature in her lap. His brow furrowed in thought. Subtly looking at the two sitting in the chair, he saw a power conduit connecting the two. The conduit was thick and multicolored. Pulses of magic went both ways and sometimes mingled before splitting back towards both. It was as thick as his leg, and seemed to writhe with a life of its own. Sitting back he looked at Luna and Henry again.

"I want you to believe, I really am Harry. Remember when we first met? You told me some things that have been important to me. Like, 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.'"

Luna's face was still clouded. Her expression was hard to read. Harry continued on, "Later, when we go to the carriages, you told me you could see the thestrals also. No one else heard what you said to me. Do you remember what it was?"

Luna's eyes were running with tears. She was shaking her head as if to ward away something she didn't want to see. Her voice almost a whisper, she said, "I remember... do you?"

"You told me I was just as sane as you were." The weather outside had darkened as black clouds blotted out the sun. Pounding rain began to fall against the glass of the windows.

Luna's shoulders were shaking as she cried silently. She looked back up at Harry. Henry was curled hard up against her chest in an effort to comfort her as much as possible. Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Harry... you've changed so much. What's happened?"

Harry sighed. He rubbed his face with his hand. "I think we could use some of that tea you've made. I know I could."

Luna gathered herself, and proceeded to pour tea for the both of them. The process of doing something so mundane gave her time to collect her wits and settle down her emotions.

Harry sipped the tea. It tasted a bit salty, but otherwise was refreshing. He set down the cup.

" Luna, I'm going to tell you some things. We're going to go slowly. I want you to believe, I wouldn't lie to you. Do you trust me?"

Luna thought for a moment, and nodded her head. Henry stepped down from her lap, and sauntered over to Harry. With a single leap, he settled himself in his lap. Needle sharp claws massaged his legs. Harry immediately got the point. Hurt Luna and he would be sorry.

"Luna, I've been in Azkaban for ten years. I was tried and convicted after the ministry battle. No one knew I was there because Fudge and Malfoy had the records magically sealed. Do you remember me disappearing?"

Luna gasped. "Azkaban! Harry, at worst you should have been expelled! How could they get away with that?"

Harry shrugged. "Corruption and money, with a heaping side of fear. After I disappeared, do you remember the summer?"

Luna nodded her head, "Daddy told me he was planning on going to look for snorkacks. He was telling me how it was going to be a long trip and he may have to get me some correspondence classes to keep up with my Hogwart's studies. I've been waiting for the owls to deliver the packages, but they can't seem to find here."

"Luna. I want you to think back to the day your father left for his trip. Think hard. What was her wearing?" Harry knew this was a dangerous question.

"Well, he was wearing a black... no a red suit. No That can't be right. Daddy hated red. He was more of a brown and green kind of person. He told me to... he told me...NO!" Thunder crashed outside.

Henry dug his claws into Harry's legs. Not far enough to cause severe injury, but enough that it was uncomfortable. Harry watched Luna's face run through a gambit of emotions. Fear, and shock gave way to horror, then to sadness. Sadness constricted into anger and then revulsion. She started to wring her hands, like she was washing them over and over. The wind outside was beating on the side of the cottage. Harry could hear pieces of the roof pulling off.

"No..no... NO! He's just on a trip. He'll be back! He rented this cabin while our house is renovated to make room for the snorkacks!"

Harry gently picked up Henry. He walked around the table an knelt at her side placing Henry into her lap. Her arms scooped the snorkack up and pulled him to her chest. Harry put his hand on her shoulder. Her whole body was wracked with sobs.

"Why did they burn him? All they had to do was burn the house. That would have been enough to kill Daddy. That paper was his life.... that paper and me! Oh, I miss him." She flung her arms around Harry's neck and howled her anger to the universe. Harry held Luna while she cried. Henry was wrapped around her ankles, purring as he rubbed against them.

Luna cried for many minutes. Harry just held her and let her beat on his back. The storm raged outside as Luna raged in the cottage. She clung to him and finally wound down enough that he could pull away. Her eyes were rimmed in red and puffy from crying. Outside, the rain had lessened to a gentle soaking mist. He gently reached into a pocket, and pulled out a clean handkerchief. Luna took it with a weak smile and blew her nose. Harry puller her tea cup towards her and motioned for her to drink. He retreated back to his chair and sat. Giving Luna several more minutes to compose herself, he drank his tea. When she finally spoke, the sun outside was beginning to peak out through the clouds again.

"Harry... Where are we? What is this place?"

"Uhm.. it's hard to describe. Do you know what occlumency is?"

Luna's brow wrinkled. "Isn't that what you were supposed to be learning with Professor Snape? Something about defending your mind?"

Harry smiled. "Yes. That's pretty much it. It's a way to make a place in your mind that cannot be read using legilimency. It also protects you from various mind altering magic like veela charms. Some people who have had bad things happen to them... Like you and me... build a refuge in their mind, and flee from the bad things."

Luna sat in thought. "So... this isn't real? It feels real."

Harry smiled. "No.. we're in St. Mungo's. I'm sitting in a chair next to your bed. Ginny is sitting on the other side, watching over you as she has done for the past ten years. I want you to try something. I want you to lean back. Relax. Clear your mind of thoughts."

Luna gathered Henry into her lap again and relaxed back into the chair. She closed her eyes, and breathed deeply.

"Clear everything away. Now, imagine a wall. A wall made of stone. Do you see it?"

Luna's reply was a whisper. "Yes. It's high. The top has crags on it, like teeth."

"Now imagine a giant animal. An erumpent. It's angry. It's pawing the ground." Luna's brow had sweat on it.

"Relax... you are perfectly safe... but the erumpent is angry at the wall. Angry because it's in the way. Do you feel the beast's anger? Pour your magic into the erumpent. Make him stronger."

"Yes. Yes! Its anger is... is...." Harry could feel a gathering presence.

"Like a tsunami... like a earthquake.. like a volcano... Unstoppable." Harry rubbed his face again. This was the moment of truth.

"Make the erumpent charge the wall Luna. Burst through! **Smash it down!**"

Luna grunted and curled into her chair. The snorkack seemed to meld into her chest and then she jerked. A soul tearing scream ripped from her throat. Harry could feel the earth shaking underneath his feet. The cottage seemed the giggle like jelly, then with a final ear splitting screech that sounded like it had come from two throats, everything went black.

_**Author's Note: **_

_**I'm so sorry I took so long to get this chapter out. I've been having some terrible writer's block. Every time I sat down to work on this chapter my mind would go blank, and I would end up staring at the screen.**_

_**Thank you everyone who reviewed, and sent emails encouraging me to continue. They helped me break through and build this chapter for you. A special thanks goes out to Jolynda and Ducky'sgirl4ever. Your emails were what got my muse going again!**_

_**Normally, I hate cliff hangers. But this one HAD to end this way. I'll be working on the next chapter off and on again over the next few weeks. Shouldn't be like that last four month hiatus though!**_


	17. Retribution

Chapter 17

Ginny watched as Harry closed his eyes. She could definitely feel something happening, even though she couldn't see anything. It felt like the room was filling with potential, like when lightning was going to strike. She checked Luna's vitals. They were steady, but slightly elevated.

She went to the potions cupboard in the hallway and picked out a calming potion and a pepper up potion. She had a feeling that they would be needed before long. As she re-entered the room, she could hardly believe her eyes. Luna's body was in the throes of what looked like a seizure. Her back was arched and her legs trembling with the tension. Harry was still holding her hand, and his forehead was rolling with sweat. The two of them were enclosed in a visible aura of power.

Ginny yelled in the hallway for the healer to come, and quickly pulled her wand to check on Harry. His vitals were elevated, his magical core putting out more energy than she had ever seen! Healer McAvoy arrived at a dead run. He started scanning Luna.

"This is unbelievable. Her core is pulling in magic from the surrounding environment. The power sink is so strong I can barely get my wand to show a reading. It almost looks like Mr. Black is providing her with some sort of conduit to a massive amount of power! Her heart is almost at 160 beats a minute! If this keeps up she'll go into arrest!"

Suddenly, the magic visibly swirled around Harry and Luna. The vortex began to rotate faster and faster. It was a solid looking funnel, but every paper in the room was still as death. Healer McAvoy and Ginny were torn from their places. It was all they could do to hold on to the frame of the door. Ginny pulled herself tight to the frame and squinted into the maelstrom.

"Something's happening! Be ready!"

As the energy storm condensed, it started to throb. The sound was very low pitch, and pulsed like a heart. It gained in volume as the cloud shrank, and then gradually formed into a shape. The shade coalesced into a solid form that sat on Luna's chest. As the edges focused, Ginny could see what looked like hair. Suddenly, it was silent. Abruptly they could hear people yelling if everything was ok from down the hall. Healer McAvoy performed a diagnostic on everyone.

"Normal pulse, normal breathing. Magical cores normal. I don't know how to explain this!"

Ginny paced over to the bed. She looked at the animal that had appeared on Luna's chest. The midsized beast seemed to be curled into a ball and asleep. Harry leaned forward on his legs and groaned.

"I hope I never have to do something like that again. My head feel like it's been used as bongos by Peeves!"

Healer McAvoy handed Harry a bottle of Headache potion. As Harry downed the concoction, he ran another diagnostic. "You should be right as rain shortly, Mr. Black. I don't know what you've done or how you did it, but Miss Lovegood seems to be much improved. I believe she's coming around now."

Ginny sat back down beside Luna. She held hands with her best friend as she woke. It was little things at first: An eye flutter, then a sigh, finally a cough and her eyes flew open. Ginny helped he take a small sip of water to calm her coughing. Harry spoke.

"There's some people here to see you Luna. And old friend, and a new one!"

Luna's eyes slowly focused on Ginny. A small smile pulled at her lips. The small animal on her chest started to purr and turned to stare at Ginny. Luna swallowed some more water and spoke in a whisper.

"Hi, Ginny. I'd like you to meet a special friend of mine. His name is Henry."

Ginny stared at the animal on Luna's chest. "What... is he?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Something that hasn't existed for a very, very long time. Ginny, Healer McAvoy, I'd like to introduce you to the only known Crumple- Horned Snorkack, Henry. Apparently Luna is his familiar."

Ginny stared at Harry for a moment. She looked back at the creature on the bed with Luna. She tentatively held out her hand. "Hello, Henry. I'm Ginny Longbottom. I'm Luna's friend."

The snorkack stood up and stretched. It studied Ginny as it crept towards her hand. Several sniffs, and then it wormed its way under her hand. Ginny could feel a definite presence in her mind. The presence was welcoming and grateful. The touch had only lasted a fleeting of an instant, and had been feather light. Then it was gone. The snorkack had returned to Luna.

The sounds of multiple cracks of incoming apparitions startled the receptionist. She had been engrossed in a medical journal about repairing spell damage caused by cutting spells. The sight of nine people dressed in dark robes with silver masks preceded the sudden severing charm that was used to end her life.

The receiving area was quiet for a few long seconds as the other people there sat puzzled. Suddenly a scream pierced the air and pandemonium broke loose. Witches and wizards scrambled to escape the Death Eaters almost casual uses of the diffindo and crucio curse. Some fell and were trampled beneath the feet of their fellows trying to get out.

The Death Eaters broke into groups of two and began a steady push. Each twitch of a wand shot out another deadly curse. Occasionally, a witch or wizard would stand their ground and try to fight, but one wand against many who could use unforgivables was no match.

A steady roar of panic was spreading throughout the hospital now. Wormtail stopped at one room. He motioned with his wand, and the door was blasted off its hinges. Wood splinters sprayed the inside of the Apothecary, piercing and killing the brewers. Peter turned to the Death Eater next to him and waved at the room.

"You know what to do. Give us at least twenty minutes to finish and leave. Do not fail our Lord! The explosion should level the building!"

Snape snarled, "Don't tell me how to do my job, you spineless cretin! Now leave me be!" With a swirl of his cape, the Death Eater strode into the room. Wormtail glanced at the other Death Eater in the hall and strode away, launching a random AK into a patient's room with a snarl.

The sounds of trouble slowly started to fill the hall outside of Luna's room. Healer McAvoy walked to the door and snagged one of the nurses running through the hallways. "What's going on?"

The nurse struggled to get away as she squealed, "Death Eaters!" Suddenly, she broke free and raced down the hall. The healer turned back onto the room, his face stricken with grief.

Harry looked between the Healer, Ginny and Luna. His mind was spiraling between fear and anger, uncertain which to focus on. The tired voice or Ezekial pierced his thoughts.

"You said you would be able to handle this. Now you have no choice. I will be here, but it's up to you to protect these people!" Ezekial's tone changed to an angry hiss. "Take charge, and do what you will...or I will. And all I care about is making sure **you** live!"

Harry's heart began to race. He knew that Ezekial would abandon his friends in an instant if it was a choice between him or them. He couldn't allow that to happen! He had just started to put his life together again. His friends had accepted him back as he was, no questions asked. He couldn't allow anything to happen to Ginny. it would devastate Neville. And Luna had lost all these years. It would be a crime to have her released from her own personal jail only to die.

Harry stood from his chair. He turned to Ginny and Healer McAvoy. His eyes were shining with an inner fire. On the bed, the snorkack began to growl. The hair on its back stood on end. Luna looked at Henry and then to her friends around her.

"Go and stop them Harry. We'll be safe in here. Henry will make sure no one comes into the room but you. We're not defenseless, you know!"

Harry glanced at the four. The snorkack had grown to almost lion size in the short time it had taken Luna to speak. Ginny was moving furniture around with her wand to make barriers to fight behind, and Healer McAvoy had gathered several potions form the cabinet in the hall. He winked at Harry.

"I'm not just a healer. I was second in my class for potions. I can make some surprises for anyone coming down the hall. Announce yourself before coming towards the room. We'll be fine, Mr. Black. Or should I say Potter? No worries. Healer patient confidentiality covers your secret in this case. Besides... you're about to save my life. It would be poor repayment indeed if I were to divulge anything after that!"

Harry nodded to the motley group of defenders. He carefully walked into the hallway. Glancing back, he could see furniture being stacked up in front of the door. Harry swiped his hand through his hair, and took a deep calming breath. His heart was going a mile a minute.

Slowly, he walked towards the medi-witch station at the end of the hall. It was around a corner just before the stair access. Many of the screams and yells that had been filtering though the hospital had been silenced. All he could hear now was his breathing. He pressed his body against the wall next to the corner. Risking a glance around the edge he could see two people in cloaks and Death Eater masks enter the first patient room from the stairs.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A green flash erupted from the room. Harry could hear some laughing. It wasn't the laugh of an insane person, but the cruel laugh of a person who was causing pain and enjoying it. Harry felt his chest tighten. A fury that had been accumulating throughout his life was building in his chest. The laugh was exactly like Vernon's or Dudley's when they had just finished tormenting him. It was the laugh of Bellatrix when she realized Sirius had been pushed though the Veil. It was the same laugh that Draco Malfoy had when he was persecuting non-pure blood students at school.

Harry felt a righteous anger stoke the heat of his fury. How dare they! How dare the Death Eaters violate this place of healing! It was the one place people had felt some modicum of safety from the attacks. In all the years of killing and destroying, they had never targeted St. Mungo's. Until now.

Ezekial nudged Harry's vision into the magical sight he used when working on wands. Harry could see bands of energy flowing down the hallways, one or two strips cutting into each door as it went past. This was obviously the magical monitoring system the medi-witches and healers used to keep track of how the patients were doing. Harry placed his hand against the one near his head. Reaching into his core, he connected the two together.

A flash of vertigo and he was able to see the room the two Death Eaters were in. Just as suddenly as he had seen them, the vision ended. The conduits had overloaded with energy and dispersed. Harry had recognized the two in that short blaze. Antonin Dolohov and Rabastan LeStrange!

Ezekial gently guided Harry to connect to the ley line above the hospital. Just like when a parent teaches their child to ride a bike, he gently held the stream until Harry was drawing on it himself, then smoothly backed into his mind. With a whisper, he spoke to Harry.

"Use the magic. Make it obey. Do not let your anger overwhelm you. It also is a tool, not a justification for violence! This is a fight for your life! Let the magic encompass you. Use it like an extension of your mind."

With a guttural almost growl, Harry swirled the energy around his body, pulling it close against his skin. He layered it in overlapping whirls, like the yarn in one of Molly Weasley's jumpers. Harry's focus was so great on the matter at hand, he failed to realize he was doing this without a wand.

He stepped out into medi-witch station. The two Death Eaters had just stepped back out of the room. For a moment that seemed like an eternity, the three wizards just stared at each other. The Death Eaters in shock that someone would challenge them, and Harry came to terms with the actions he was about to take.

The moment ended as Dolohov dove behind the counter at the station. LeStrange dropped into a dueling stance and snapped off an expelliarmus at Harry. Normally, this would be a perfectly normal response to an armed wizard. In this case, the spell slammed into Harry's chest and crackled down the filaments of magic he had layered over his body. The typical spell effect would have caused whatever weapon Harry may have been holding, be it wand or dagger, to fly out of his hand. As he had nothing, it fizzled.

Harry pulled more power from the ley lines. With a feral roar, he snapped his arms down and seemed, to Dolohov and LeStrange, to claw up raw energy from the air. Raw magic was playing over his hands. The tendrils were caressing the floor, walls and ceiling around him! Leakage of his rage was causing the magic to snarl around. It whipped the air, crackling in menace. LeStrange was frozen in place in fear. He had never seen a display of raw magic like this! Not even from The Dark Lord.

Dolohov leapt up from his hiding place. Snapping his wand into position, he cast.

"Reducto!"

Harry seemed to slip to the side as the spell went by. Almost like he had apparated, but he hadn't **actually** disappeared. He was just a few feet to the left all of a sudden. The spell hit the wall beside Harry, blowing a large hole through to the room beyond. Clouds of plaster dust filled the air.

The magic pulsed out in retaliation. A talon of energy snapped out, It seemed to caress Dolohov like a lover's hand. The play of the blinding white power stroked his body. Dolohov's scream started almost like a kettle coming to boil: Low, then increasing in volume until it was a piercing shriek was like fingernails on a chalkboard. His muscles spasmed as he tried to escape. Harry tied the ley line flow back to Dolohov's wand, creating a feedback loop. The magic was fed by Dolohov's core, and would not stop now until the man was dead. It was only seconds before his heart gave out.

LeStrange broke free of his astonishment, and threw several spells in succession.

"Serpensortia! Protego! _**Crucio!"**_

A large cobra flared out of Rabastan LeStrange's wand. It reared up, flaring its hood in preparation to strike. His shield deflected some of the energy flaring out of Harry's aura. He knew a directed attack would not be completely stopped by the shield.

Harry saw the red bolt of the cruciatus curse heading towards him. He had felt the waves of agonizing pain more than once. Reaching deep down, he could again see his magical core as he had in the field long ago. Without a thought, he used conditioned reflexes that he had trained for his Quidditch matches many years ago: Encapsulating his hand with the back mist from around his magical core, he snatched the spell.

Rabastan gaped at the man in front of him. That was an Unforgivable he was so casually holding in his hand! A sudden realization that he was going to die here and now gripped LeStrange's heart. LeStrange tugged on his wand, trying to free the conduit of magic from the man's grip.

Harry held the spell loosely at his side. He focused on the king cobra. It was a giant of its species, easily reaching 5 meters in length. It was reared right up and hissing at him. Any false move would antagonize it to bite.

He spoke to the creature, "Ssserenity my friend. I mean you no harm. I would ssssend you back to your home, if you do me a ssservice. Ssstrike the one behind you!"

The cobra swayed for a split second, Then spoke, "Done!" It struck Rabastan several times in quick succession across his arm and leg. One bite struck the artery in his leg. The snake hung on for several seconds then released the Death Eater to quickly slither back towards Harry between his legs.

LeStrange collapsed to the ground. He clutched the burning wounds in his arm and leg. He screamed at Harry, "The Dark Lord shall kill you!" With a slight groan, his spasming body disappeared in a flash of a portkey. The cruciatus spell he had been holding dissipated.

Harry closed his eyes. He took a couple deep breaths and flicked a strand of magic at the snake by his feet. The king cobra faded from view.

Wormtail peered around a corner. He could have sworn he had heard someone screaming and it distinctly sounded like LeStrange! He turned to the other Death Eater and motioned forward. The other man snarked, "You are such a coward!" as he strode up the stairs.

Several moments later there was a cut off curse and a crack of thunder. Wormtail had covered his ears a moment too late, and was bent over in pain. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by a heavy weight tackling him. He struggled uselessly for some time before realizing the body on top of him was not moving. He gathered his strength, and pushed the weight up off of him. The dead eyes of the man he had sent up the stairs stared back at him. With a blood curdling screech, Wormtail activated his portkey taking himself and the body away in a swirl.

Harry cautiously walked down the stairs, peering around with both his eyes and his magic. The tendrils floated around corners, and flicked out tasting the air like a snake. He stopped in a hallway and closed his eyes, trying to sense the flows of magic. He could see a pulsating aura coming from a room ahead of him. A sign on the wall indicated it was the Apothecary for the hospital. Harry set his teeth and slid up to what was left of the door.

A quick glance in the room showed a single man working over a cauldron. There were several bodies strewn across tables and the floor. From the amount of blood, Harry was sure they were dead. Harry stepped into the room, and cleared his throat. The man at the table stiffened and abruptly spun, his wand extended.

Snape took in the sight before him. The person across the room was shorter than average, and had a slight build. His hair was salt and pepper colored, and sticking up at crazy angles. His face was scarred and lined with premature age. Obvious power wrapped around the figures arms and chest. Some of the tendrils looked almost alive! Snape held his wand steady.

Harry stared. He hadn't thought to ever see Severus Snape ever again in his life. His black eyes were just as piercing as ten years ago. Harry realized the man before him had not cast any curses yet. He was in a defensive posture. He could see a Death Eater mask on the table near the cauldron, and Snape was wearing the robes.

"So. Concocting a poison, or is it a bomb?"

Snape's wand never wavered. He held it directly at the man's heart. "Neither. I am making a potion that will put out clouds of the draught of living death. I had hoped to put it through the ventilation before too many people had to die."

Harry looked intently at Snape. He was trying to read the man. There was a faint tickle at the edge of his mind. Suddenly, Ezekial roared up out the depths.

"GET OUT OF MY MIND!" Ezekial clamped on the probe and squeezed. Harry felt his legs buckle under the force of Ezekial's will. Harry could see flashes of Snape's life. Ezekial was sifting through all of his memories. Snape keened in pain and crumpled into a dead faint. Harry struggled to push Ezekial back down.

"Enough! He's no longer a threat, and I don't want to kill if I don't have to. Merlin forbid we kill someone who is innocent!" Ezekial shuddered under the force of Harry's resolve. With a final grin, he receded back into Harry's subconscious.

Harry panted with the effort it had taken to regain control. After a minute, he walked over to Snape's comatose body. Quickly patting him down, he found the Death Eater robes were a pullover. He removed them and piled them on the counter with the mask. Glancing around, he found several ingredients to make a strong acid. Dumping them all into a pewter cauldron, he swiftly destroyed the Death Eater paraphernalia.

Some shout's were coming from the hall. Harry concentrated on the power he still had, and grounded it back into the hospital's warding schemes. The aura dimmed and disappeared just as an auror turned the corner.

"Hold it right there! Arms and wand where I can see them!"

Harry put his arms up and spoke, "I have no wand. This man needs medical attention. Healer McAvoy will vouch for me, he's upstairs in room 315. Make sure to announce yourself before approaching. They have barricaded themselves in and have some defenses prepared."

The auror kept his wand trained on harry and spoke into a silver button sewn into the wrist of his uniform.

"Apothecary. Two suspects, one needs medical attention. Advises 3rd floor is defended by civilians. Approach with caution, announce identity. Please send back up."

The small silver button buzzed for a moment and then a small tinny voice could be heard.

"Understood. Back up on the way. Wait one."

The auror motioned with his wand towards the other side of the room. "Please distance yourself from the man on the floor. What type of injury does he have?"

Harry cautiously moved where he was directed to. "I believe he was stunned by the blast when the door was blown in. I was just trying to help."

At that moment, another auror entered the room with her wand drawn. "Alright, Williamson. I'm here. Under control?"

Harry gaped at the woman in front of him. Her eyes were dark and twinkling and her hair was as bright a pink as could be. Her heart-shaped face clinched it. His mouth worked for a moment before words would come out.

"Tonks?"

She squinted at Harry for a moment, as if trying to place him. Her hair cycled through several colors before resting again on pink. "Who are you? I don't remember arresting you before."

Harry chuckled for a moment. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me. It's been a long time since we saw each other last. Not since that last family reunion. Remember? You tripped over the troll-foot umbrella stand. I'm James Black. Your cousin?"

Tonk's looked puzzled. "But all of the blacks are dead.... James.... Black?" Her eyes lit up in understanding. She turned to Williamson and chopped her hand.

"I can vouch for this one. He's no death eater. Who's on the floor here?"

Williamson looked up from attending to Snape. "I believe it is Severus Snape. He looks like he's been stunned. We should get a healer in here to check him. I'd like to know why he was here."

Harry spoke up. "He was here consulting on a potion that we tried with one of the comatose patients. My friend, Luna Lovegood. I was upstairs helping to administer it when the attack started. I came down to see if I could help. I believe Professor Snape was looking in on the next dose. Luckily, we won't need it because it looks to be ruined. Too bad. It was a prototype, and all his notes were here with it." He was staring at Tonks the entire time he spoke.

She slowly nodded. "I seem to remember Dumbledore mentioning something about that. Mr. Black, please keep yourself available for questions. You may leave." She brought her sleeve to her mouth. "Apothecary cleared. No Death Eaters. One injury confirmed. Send a healer."

She nodded to Harry. "You may go to the third floor and wait there. I will be up in a few minutes to get your statement."

Harry turned and walked out the door. He slowly climbed the stairs after an auror stationed at the foot called ahead to clear him. He was starting to feel the reaction to the fighting now. His muscles ached with fatigue, and his mind was getting blurry. Upon reaching the third floor, he saw several more aurors studying the battle scene there. One was obviously upset by the results she was seeing when performing a forensics spell on the body of Dolohov.

"I have no idea how this man was killed. No that's not quite right. I know how he was killed, but why would someone do that to themselves?"

Harry saw Ginny and Healer McAvoy in the hallway in front of Luna's room. They were speaking to Mad Eye Moody. Harry just caught the end of the healer's statement.

"...and that's when Mr. Black went to check on the other floors. We didn't hear anything until the auror called out to us to drop our defenses." Healer McAvoy glanced towards Harry. "Ah! Here's Mr. Black now!"

Moody turned towards Harry. He looked him up and down with his magical eye, and then grunted. "Got yourself in quite the mess here, Black. Is what McAvoy says correct?"

"Aside from having to deal with Dolohov, yes." Harry glared at Alastor's knowing grin. He nodded tiredly and waved back towards the stairs. "I went to the apothecary. Snape was there. I think he's still alive. Tonks is down there right now dealing with the git right now." Harry got a little grin on his face. "Would you let him know that James Black was his savior? I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it."

Moody's belly laugh bellowed out to echo down the hall. Several of the aurors checking the crime scene by the mediwitch station looked about to wet their pants when he stopped.

"You realize he'll have a right fit? Would you like a photo or pensieve memory?"

"The photo would be fine. That way I can share with all my friends. I'm sure Gred and Forge would love to see it."

Moody shook his head as he wiped a tear of laughter away from his good eye. He glanced down the hall and saw Tonks storming towards the group. Quickly handing a to spool of string to Harry, he shoved him towards Luna's door. "Go and check on your friend. I'll speak to Tonks. Make sure to remind Miss Lovegood about my credo!"

Harry was rushed into the room by Mad Eye. Ginny and the Healer followed him. He unraveled the string when he was at the bed. Luna looked on with interest. "What's happened?"

Harry tied a very loose loop in the end of the string. He motioned towards Henry with it. "Could you slip this over Henry's head? We need to be going, and I don't think it would be wise to wait much longer." Tonks voice could be heard in the hallway. It was raising in volume and pitch as she worked herself up.

Luna draped the loop around Henry's neck, and grasped the string. Harry passed the end to Ginny and looked back at Healer McAvoy. "Any last instructions for this patient?"

The healer pulled a paper off of the chart on the wall and passed it to Ginny. "The patient is yours, Mrs. Longbottom. Proceed with standard therapies. I expect updates! And please do come and visit again, Miss Lovegood. When you're feeling better of course!"

Luna waved at Healer McAvoy as Harry grasped the string and spoke the trigger.

"Constant Vigilance!"

AN: While writing this chapter (sorry for the length of time), I found huge plot hole in my future chapters. I've been trying to work out a way that would fix it without sounding cheesy.

I've been avoiding looking in on Dumbledore and his gang as this is part of my plot hole trouble. You can expect to see some non-Harry chapters coming up to fill in background thing!

As always, thank you for all the reviews! I appreciate every one of them!


	18. Revelations

Chapter 18

Moody rotated on his wooden leg to face Tonks as she came storming up the hallway. He took a step towards her and held out his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"Auror Tonks! How are things progressing on the main floor?"

"Stuff it, Moody! I know Harry is in that room and I want to ask him a few questions! Like where the hell he's been all these years! And how the hell he managed to do this much destruction in the few minute it took us to get here!"

The other aurors in the hallway stopped their inspection of Dolohov's body and stared at their senior auror chewing out one of the most feared people in the ministry aside from Unspeakables.

Moody's magic eye swiveled to face her along with his normal one."You can't go in there just now, Tonks. Give him a bit of space and he will come to you."

Tonks' hair cycled through various colours before settling on a deep red. Her cheeks were flushed and she was clenching her fist around her wand.

"Get out of my way, Moody. You're retired and only here as a recruit trainer. I'm the senior auror on site, and will proceed with my investigation as I see fit! Do you understand?"

The hall was silent now as the confrontation between two of the most well known aurors in the Ministy's modern history faced off. Moody smirked and bowed to Tonks.

"As you wish, Senior Auror. When you are willing to partake of some of my intelligence, please come and see me over by that bag of snot that used to be Dolohov. I need to go and get a good look so I can have a nice memory for my wall of pensieve vials." Moody stumped over to where his recruits were taking photographs, and gathering readings with their wands.

Tonks glared at him for a few moments as he walked away. She visibly gathered herself, brushed some imagined dust off of her uniform and entered the room. As she went through the doorway expecting to see several people, Harry included, she only saw a healer busying himself at the potion cupboard, arranging vials. The healer turned to her as she came in.

"Oh! Hello, Senior Auror! I'm Healer McAvoy. Are you injured? How can I assist?"

"Where are the others that just entered the room? Specifically, James Black? He is a witness and was supposed to wait for me to come and get his statement!"

"Oh! Auror Moody out there took our statements. The patient that was in this room was discharged under the care of an associate healer and portkeyed away to avoid over-exerting herself. The commotion was not good for a person in her condition. I believe the man you are looking for went with them."

The sound of Tonks teeth grinding together was loud enough for Healer McAvoy to hear. He raised an eyebrow and offered a small vial to her.

"Perhaps a calming potion, Senior Auror? It seems you could use it. I insist. You and your teeth will thank me for it."

Tonks glared at him for a few moments before taking the potion and tossing it back like a shot of bad Irish whisky. Her hair gradually faded to an off white blue, as the anger lines in her face faded. With a nod she turned and left the room.

Moody was coaching his trainees on proper chain of custody for evidence when Tonks approached.

"Now, you two take all this bagged evidence back to the processing center. You both have to sign it in to the storage lock up, and it **can not** leave your side, even for one second. Got it? Good. Now go!" The pops of apparition marked the trainees departure. Moody turned towards Tonks. "You've grown Tonks. When you were one of my snot-nosed trainees you would have never stood up to me. Now, calmly ask your questions and I will do my best to answer them."

Tonks sighed and held her forehead in her hand. With a tightening around her mouth, she started to speak.

"What in Merlin's name is going on? Harry has been gone, as in not even Dumbledore can find him, and suddenly he's back and _killing _Death Eaters! Where was he? Why was he gone for so long? And what's with the "James Black" name?"

Moody pursed his lips for a moment to gather his thoughts. He stroked his chin and spoke. "I can't tell you where he's been and why he was there." Tonks took a breath and was about to start yelling again when Moody continued. "Now hold on to your knickers! I said `can not', not `will not'! Meet me at the secure room in the Ministry basement afterwards and I'll address those questions then. Understand?"

Tonks eyes widened with surprise as Moody explained. The secure room was a specially enchanted room that allowed an auror to discuss items that were covered under the ministry's vow of secrecy without breaking the vow. It could only be entered by a fellow ministry employee who had also taken the vow. Any sealed records could be viewed there, and it was impossible to remove anything that was not publicly available. Most aurors only saw it once in their entire term of service, and that was when you took your vow as you entered the Auror Corps.

She shook her head and poked Moody in the chest with a finger, using it to emphasize each word. "A short time ago, a few weeks at most, Mother got a letter from the goblins stating she had been welcomed back into the family. Her dowry was released! The co-signature on the document was H. James Black, along with Sirius. That money came just as they were going to go bankrupt! Did Harry do that? And how? He's not a black!"

Moody's face went from serious to full of glee as Tonks ended her tirade. He slapped her hand away from his face and rocked back on his wooden leg. "A few days ago, Harry contacted me with a question..."

_FLASHBACK_

_Moody was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron, enjoying a snifter of Ogden's Finest. He often came to sit and relax. Tom kept a couple booths warded with obfuscation and anti-eavesdropping charms for the people who wanted to talk about business and couldn't afford the Gringott's charges. While not quite as secure as the goblin's, they were functional. Moody had a favorite booth that kept his back to the wall, and gave him a great view of all the entrances and exits, including the floo access._

_Moody sipped at the fiery liquor and contemplated his recruits. This new batch was turning into a good troupe. They had finally realized that taking down a death eater was not a duel. People died if you weren't ready for anything. Sadly, it had taken a fairly serious training accident to make the point, but the healers said the recruit could complete his training with the next class._

_Some movement by the bar pulled Alastor's back to the present. He could see one of the Weasley twins handing a package to Tom and nodding. A couple galleons dropped into Tom's had and the tall red-head left. Alastor knew that Tom had little to no dealings with the two jokesters, and his curiosity bump was itching now._

_The publican wiped the bar down for a few more moments as he made sure no one was watching, and then walked over to Moody's table. Stepping past the ward curtain, he dropped the package on the table. Moody looked at Tom and grunted out, "What's this now?"_

_Tom shook his head. "I was told to make sure you got it. I've already checked it for port key signatures and obvious magic. Seems fairly muggle to me. Not parchment, and written with their writing devices, not a quill."_

_Alastor waved his wand over the small package a couple times and pursed his lips in thought. The writing on the label looked like Potters. He glanced back up at Tom and nodded his head. "Thank you old friend. I know who sent it. Has to be Potter."_

_Tom waved and went back to the bar to serve a couple of customers who had floo'ed in as he was speaking to Moody._

_Alastor opened the package and glanced through the contents. A sheaf of legal documents, and a short letter addressed to him was all it contained._

_Moody:_

_I've been going through a few of Sirius' old things, and came across a purser's key to a vault. When I checked on it, there was a rather modest sum of money, and a letter. One of the things he had asked was to make sure Andromeda Tonks was taken care of, since he always felt rather badly that she had no family to fall back on. I've had the Goblins fill out the paperwork to reclaim he back into the Black family, and provide the dowry she was denied when Walburga disowned her. All it needs is a wizard notary (the goblins told me you are still registered as one) to authenticate it._

_If you would be so kind as to provide your stamp of approval, and drop it off at Gringott's, I would be in your debt._

_In regards to your suggestion I assist your trainees, I have been giving it thought. I have some personal items on my agenda to attend to first, but I think it would be beneficial to me to practice my skills. I will be in contact with you when I am available._

_Constant Vigilance!_

_JB_

_Moody perused the documents for a moment to assure himself it was as the letter had stated. He pricked his finger and made a mark in the appropriate space. With a wave of his wand, the blood flowed to his brand on the parchment. He tossed back the last sallow of the whisky, and stumped his way to the bank._

END FLASHBACK

Tonks was completely gob smacked. Moody's story, while fantastic, would explain what had happened several days before. A courier owl had stopped by during a family supper. Tonks had been supplementing her parents failing business as best she could with her salary. She had moved back into their home to help pay the bills, and provide some level of security to the older couple.

The owl had dropped the letter in the middle of the table, and left immediately. When Andromeda opened it, a Gringott's key had fallen out. With a slight frown on her face, she read through the letter.

_To: A. Tonks (nee Black)_

_From: Gringott's Inheritance Dept._

_Re: Dowry_

_Mrs. Tonks,_

_Recent changes in your family status (as documented by the enclosed forms) had caused a release of a dowry that had been in holding. As you are now officially welcomed back to the family of Black, your monies have been placed in a vault. The key to access this vault should be enclosed._

_Cordially in Business,_

_Gutrip_

_Inheritance Manager_

Andromeda passed the documents to her husband and daughter and stared at the small golden key on the table in front of her. Tears had formed in her eyes, and were making small tracks down her cheeks.

Nymphadora glanced at the letter from the goblins, and then read through the documentation. It had been signed by Sirius, and someone else... H. J. Black? Who was this person? he was obviously the head of the Blacks now that Sirius was dead, but she had never heard of him. Her father broke her train of thought with an uttered oath.

"What is it, Dad?"

Ted looked at his wife and daughter with a large grin on his face. "My dears, this is a windfall. According to the goblins, that vault contains 70,000 galleons! Our debts can be paid, our business brought out of receivership, and we can get back on our feet! We're not rich, but we won't lose the house or business anymore!"

Andromeda wiped the tears from her eyes. "The money doesn't mean much, though it is welcome. What means the most to me is having my heritage and family back. Whoever this person is, he is truly a godsend!"

Moody chuckled and brought Tonks back to the present. With a hand on her shoulder, he leaned in and spoke quietly, "Meet me at the secure room in two hours. I can give you more then."

Tonks nodded. Suddenly, there was a crash as someone knocked over a cart in the hall. She whipped around and started bawling orders to the other aurors.

**  
A/N:

This was hard to write. Not because my muse is being stubborn, but to make sure I keep character's in line with canon. It's a bit short, and I still have more backstory to fill in before we get back to Harry, Hermione and Luna. I promise it won't take as long to write as the last one did. I re-wrote this one a couple times before it felt right.


	19. Investigation

**Chapter 19**

Voldemort was reclining on his throne, eyes partially closed and covered by a nictitating membrane. Anyone looking on the Dark Lord in his repose would know in an instant that he was not human. The incoming sound of a portkey drew him from his torpor. LeStrange appeared on the floor in front of his dais thrashing in obvious pain. His breathing was labored and quick.

Voldemort stepped down to the man. With a casual flick of the wand, LeStrange was flipped on his back. The Dark Lord's eyes slit in anger as he crouched down to look into the man's face.

"Rabastan… What has happened?"

LeStrange's eyes barely focused through the pain. His lips were showing a cyanotic blue as his cardiovascular system collapsed due to the ravaging snake venom. He drew a shaky breath and spoke.

"My Lord…. We were ambushed! Please… a potion to stop the poison! Anything!"

Voldemort looked at the writhing man with disgust. "Why would I save someone who had so obviously failed me? No. I think I shall just take what I need and let you die in pain. Legilimens!"

It was never a good idea to be in mind contact with a dying person. The pain was transferred to you and if you could not occlude it enough, would drag you with it until the person expired. People had been driven mad by less. He quickly ripped through Rabastan's memories of the night, and stopped on the vision of the man who had defeated him. One look was all he needed. Potter!

The sound of another incoming portkey broke his attention just as the poisoned death eater was gasping his last few weak breaths. Two more bodies appeared next to the dead LeStrange. One was quite obviously dead, if the charred hole in its chest was anything to judge by, but the one underneath it was feebly struggling and squealing to be freed.

Voldemort stood and went to his throne. He seated himself and waited patiently for Wormtail to push the dead body off. As Peter stood, Voldemort stood.

"Crucio!"

The red crackle of energy licked over Peter's body. In an instant he was screaming his lungs out. Writhing on the floor and kicking in convulsions, Peter had been caught unawares. The pain from the spell was magnified a hundred fold due to the surprise. His voice cracked as his vocal cords were injured by the soul wrenching cries.

The Dark Lord lounged back as he released the man from his suffering. Peter lay on the floor for a few minutes whimpering as the waves of pain slowly left his body. He sluggishly rolled over and pushed himself to a kneeling position in front of his master.

"My lord… I'm sorry. We were attacked! They knew we were coming!"

Voldemort sat regarding the man in front of him. Why he kept him alive was almost beyond him. Aside from his unwavering loyalty he was almost useless. Sadly, the man was also one of the few people the Dark Lord could trust not to stab him in the back. He leaped from the throne and in a flurry of robes was snarling inches from Wormtail's face.

"It was Potter! He was there! You were supposed to bring him to me… But failed!"

Wormtail began to shake in fear. He could see LeStrange was dead. And if the look and color of his face was any indication, it was a very painful one.

"I'm sorry, Master! He cut through us like nothing I've seen before!"

Voldemort went back to his throne. He stood in contemplation for a few seconds. "Potter's mind is closed to me again. He couldn't have shielded again. He must be unconscious. Maybe you didn't do as badly as I had thought. Still… You disappoint me. Come here, Worm!"

Wormtail staggered over to the Dark Lord and kneeled. Voldemort grabbed his flesh arm and pressed his wand to the Dark Mark there. Liquid fire roiled though Peter's veins as Voldemort summoned another of his minions.

Several minutes later, Lucius Malfoy entered the room. He swirled his cape over his shoulder as he bowed in front of the Dark Lord. "I come as you summoned, My Lord. What can this servant do for you?"

The next words struck an ice cold fear into Lucius' heart.

"Potter has surfaced again. Use your authority and issue a warrant for his arrest. Make it something suitably vile so the general public will be against him and provide it to our agent in the Daily Prophet as well. Once he is sent to Azkaban, I can deal with him at my leisure. Now go!"

Malfoy bowed again. "At once, my lord!" He turned and strode out of the room.

Thoughts were rushing through Lucius Malfoy's head.

_How had Potter escaped his hunting teams? He was a wreck of a man when he had been released from Azkaban a few months ago, and now… If The Dark Lord manages to capture him, I will be undone! He MUST be killed!_

The fireplace flared with an incoming floo traveler. Remus glanced up from the Prophet in his hands to see Tonks step out of the green flames. His face softened as he watched her brush off the soot gathered while spinning through the floos.

Tonks finished casting her cleansing spells. She turned to see Remus watching her past his paper. The years had been hard on her lover. His monthly changes had always taken their toll, but losing Sirius and then Harry within weeks of each other had almost broken him. When Harry had first disappeared, Remus was focused on finding him to the point of excluding everything else. He finally came to his senses when Tonks had put herself in danger trying to get him into a locked room as his transformation overcame him.

The next morning, Remus had been so devastated at his lapse that he had dropped into a deep depression. It had been a close thing when the next full moon had come around. Remus had honestly considered allowing the Aurors to take him down with the Silver Dart spell. Tonks had tied him down and forced the wolvesbane potion down his throat. It was only through her support and hard love that he had come out of the funk to get some treatment from Poppy Pomfrey.

"Hi, Tonks. How was your day?" Tonks plopped down onto the loveseat next to him. She drew a breath and let it out slowly as she stared at the floor. Remus' brow furrowed in concern. He knew there was something on her mind that was bothering her. "What's up?"

Without looking up she spoke. "I saw Harry today."

The sound of the tea cup breaking was all that broke the silence. Tonk's looked up to see the tears rolling down his ashen face.

In almost a whisper, Remus finally spoke. "Where has he been?"

"He's been away. He was..." Her throat caught and a coughing spell interrupted her. Remus handed her a hastily poured cup of tea to help clear her throat. "Thanks. He's been in.." A sudden wave of nausea had her swallowing her gorge several times to prevent from spewing on the floor. She got herself under control and shook her head.

"I can't. The Ministry Oath won't let me!"

Remus' face screwed up into confusion. "Why would your oath prevent you from telling me where he's been? What's going on, Tonks!"

Tonks explained as much as she could over the next ten minutes. First the call to St. Mungo's and the subsequent investigation into what had happened, leading right up to finding Harry covering for Snape. "And to top it all off, Moody ran interference for him to get away before I could do anything else. I know where he's been, and it's a doozy… but I can't say anything!"

Remus sat back in his chair, deep in thought. He finally shook his head as he spoke. "We have an order meeting tonight. I'll confront Moody and find out what in Merlin's name is going on! I swore that if I ever found Harry again I would do anything to help him, and so help me I shall!"

The fireplace in The Burrow flared into life and a familiar voice drew Molly from her kitchen.

"Hello? Any Weasley's home?" Remus Lupin's face and head were framed in the green flame of the floo.

"Remus! It's been a while! What do we owe the pleasure of the call? Oh! Where are my manners. Come through. I'll put some tea on."

Lupin stepped through the fireplace and into The Burrow. He casually used his wand to clean the shabby clothes he wore and then followed Molly into the kitchen.

Over the years, the kitchen in The Burrow had hosted all kinds of people. Whether it was the Minister of Magic or the Supreme Mugwump, Molly Weasley always had something appropriate in her larder. She had fed her family daily for years, and still liked to have all of them get together for a true meal, spouses and all.

Remus took a seat at the table. The chair's wood was worn so smooth that it was almost slippery to the touch. Molly smiled as she poured the tea and performed the duties of "mother".

"What do we owe the visit to? Not that you have to have a reason to come by, Remus!"

Moony had a sip of the tea and took a moment to gather his thoughts. He decided to come right out with it.

"Harry has been found." He watched Molly's face. Her "son from another mother" had been close to her heart and Harry's disappearance had hurt her badly. He saw a moment's hesitation before she spoke.

"I know. He was here for Bill's birthday supper. Oh, Remus! I wanted to tell you and Albus, but we swore to keep it quiet. Harry was so terribly broken. He has been to hell and back, and looks like a man who has survived the trip, just barely."

"But he's ok? He's healthy?"

Molly surmised the man in front of her. She could see it was genuine concern for Harry that drove him. His poise was of a relief being lifted from his shoulders as she spoke.

"He looks strong and well fed. He said he has a job that he enjoys, and has been working through the demons that pursued him in the past. He has some more things that he wanted to set straight before returning to the world fully, but he's on his way. We have a letter drop for him. Would you like to send one?"

Remus smiled and pulled an already inked parchment, folded and sealed with the marauder seal. "Please, Molly…. And if you would send for me as soon as there is a reply? Your news fills this old wolf's heart with hope."

Later that night at Gimmauld Place, Tonks and Remus sat in the kitchen. He was relaxed back on the kitchen chair with a cup of tea. His eyes scanned across the various people who were settling in. The kitchen door slammed open as Snape strode in from the front hall. His cloak swirled around him as he came to a stop. He glanced at Remus and sneered before settling at the other end of the table. Remus noticed that Mad Eye was not at the meeting.

Dumbledore and Minerva flashed into existence as Fawkes brought them from Hogwarts. With a gentle smile for Molly's offering of tea, he sat at the head of the table.

"Ah! Severus! I'm glad you are here. Perhaps you could start by telling us what happened at St. Mungo's?"

Snape cleared his throat and stood. "The Dark Lord was trying to sew some chaos, and destabilize the current ministry to the point of paralysis by striking at the hospital. By attacking a previously untouched place that had been perceived as 'safe' by the public, he could move attention away from his other objective. An objective, of which I have not been informed."

Snape's lip curled in distaste as he continued to speak. "I was attempting to put everyone into a torpor to prevent as much death as I could when the door to the potions lab burst. Some vigilante had decided to try to fight. He used some kind of attack spell I have not experienced before that rendered me unconscious. I am still trying to sort out my memories of the incident."

Albus nodded. He looked to Tonks. "Do you have anything to add? From what I understand you were one of the responding officers."

"That's right. We arrived within a few minutes of the panic alarm being set off. Upon arrival we found several people had already been killed. I was called by a rookie auror when he came across a situation he was not sure how to handle. When I arrived… I found a man claiming to be James Black."

The room was silent as people tried to puzzle out her story. McGonagall's face went pale and she gasped. Dumbledore stroked his beard and looked at the ceiling in contemplation.

"James Black? I know of no Black's that were named that way."

Snape burst out of his chair. "Potter! It was that mal-adjusted little snot-nosed bastard... Wasn't it!"

Tonks tried to keep from laughing at the apoplectic rage that Snape was building. Remus spoke quietly. "Sit down and behave, Snivelus. He bested you and you are just being petulant now."

Albus Dumbledore roared, "Enough! We gain nothing by infighting!"

The room was quiet as Dumbledore looked at each person. Taking a moment to regain his composure, he sat back down. "Were you able to find out where Harry has been all this time, Nymphadora?"

"I'm sorry, Headmaster. I'm unable to speak about it. A magical oath prevents me from divulging any information."

Dumbledore stroked his beard and finally sighed. "We need to find Mr. Potter and bring him to headquarters. He is in great danger. Voldemort has increased his attacks and the ministry has become too corrupt to fight him effectively now. If anyone sees or hears of Harry, please contact me immediately!"

The meeting broke up shortly after. Dumbledore was lost in thought. He didn't even notice when Remus and Tonks left.

The Leaky Cauldron was louder than had been usual. With the recent thwarted attack in Diagon Alley, people who had heard about it were celebrating. You-Know-Who was not as all powerful as people had thought. They could relax… For now, at least.

Remus glanced around for a free seat. Only a few at the bar were available. He eased himself between two other bodies at the packed bar. A quick wave and smile were all that it took for Tom to come over.

"What would you like? If it's supper, you'll have to sit here at the bar. I have no booths open, as you can see."

Remus placed a ten galleon coin on the bar and slid it over to Tom.

"I need some information, Tom. I know you see everything that happens in this pub. Between you and Alastor, you have one of the best spy networks I know of. Have you seen Harry Potter?"

Tom glanced nervously at the raucous patrons all around and back at Lupin. He leaned in to make himself heard without yelling.

"I haven't seen anyone who looks like him. The boy-who-lived is gone. Everyone knows that!"

Remus' eyes narrowed as he caught the scent of fear rolling off the man. He snatched the barkeep's shirt in his hand and pulled him closer to his face, and a snarl ripped from his lips.

"Lie! I swear I will do _anything_ to find him. Now spill!"

Tom's eyes never left Lupin's gaze. A small smile flickered across his mouth as Remus felt the familiar burn of a sliver blade poking him in the back just over his kidney. Without turning his head, he glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar crazy blue eye spinning in its socket.

"Let him go slowly and relax back onto the stool. Do we have an understanding?" Moody hissed.

Remus relaxed his grip and settled back to the stool. Tom lifted the coin from the bar and slapped down a key for one of the rooms above the pub. Moody swiped the key off the bar. The silver knife disappeared from Remus' back.

"Room 2. Five minutes. Knock twice and come in." Moody turned away and melted into the crowd. Lupin sat on the stool for the five minutes and calmed his racing heart. That was the closest he had come to silver in a long time. All it would have taken was a quick slice and the metal would have poisoned his blood for days. To actually be stabbed… would have been a slow death sentence.

He gathered himself and pushed away from the bar. The patrons in his way seemed to melt away, almost as if they could sense that he was a man not to be trifled with. Lupin stepped up the stairs, and pulled his wand from its wrist holster. He stopped and listened intently at the door with the large black iron "2" on its face. Even with his enhanced hearing, he couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary over the noise coming from the main tap room.

Remus rapped the door twice, pulled it open and stepped in and to the right quickly. His wand was up and he scanned the room. Before he could react a flurry of ropes snared his arms and legs to his sides. He had been caught in an incarcerous spell.

Movement caught his eye and Moody dispelled the disillusion charm that he had been using. He kept his wand pointed at Lupin the entire time.

"Prove your who you say you are or I will end you right here." Moody's voice was gravelly and low, with just the right amount of threat in it to make Remus believe that if he answered wrong he would be seeing James, Sirius and Lilly again.

"If you look at that photo of the original Order that you carry around, I am standing in the back left side, just behind James and Lilly."

Moody flicked his wand and the ropes holding Lupin in place disintegrated. He gestured for him to come further into the room.

"You took an awful chance looking for me, Lupin. In these dark days I tend to hex first and not care what happens to the body."

Remus grimaced at how sloppy he had been. The overwhelming urge to help Harry had made him careless. He had sworn on his magic to do whatever it took to find him and keep him safe. The oath had pushed him into some untenable situations in the past few years, but nothing as bad as what had almost happened here.

"Moody, you know where Harry is. You are in regular contact with him. I need to see him! You, of all people, should know about the bond the Mauraders shared. He's James' and Lilly's son. I'm his sworn protector. It's not just an emotional response!"

Moody snorted. "I always thought that Lilly Potter was a bit loopy with all those rituals and magic bonding she was doing… at least until it made that spell backfire and vaporize Riddle when Harry was a lad. What did she call you? The 'Custos'?"

"Yes. The ritual had specific requirements. I was chosen to be the force, or guardian, due to my lycanthropy. Ever wondered how I managed to make it this long without burning out like most werewolves do? It's because the ritual fuels the healing between the changes. Sirius was the Guide, thus his status as Godfather. Of course, James and Lilly were Pater and Mater. Father and Mother."

"And what, pray tell, was Wormtail? How does he fit in to this? I find it hard to believe that lump of filth has any redeeming qualities!"

Lupin wiped his hand across his face and sighed. "The Ritual required five. He was the power foundation of the whole thing. While he may not be the best wizard in the world, he is not a squib. Lilly used him as a power tap. She truly was the smartest of us all."

"Now, Alastor, where is Harry?"

Moody was absently scratching his chin. "When was the last time you got a wand polishing kit? Your wand is looking a bit… 'black'. Go and get one from Ollivander's."

With a wink of his good eye, he strode over to Lupin. "Make sure you go tomorrow." With a crack, he disapparated.

AN:

A thousand pardons for letting this story go for so long without an update! I had a few upset reviews that made me realize how long it really had been! _Hopefully_, I can get out updates about once a month from now until it is finished. I need to flesh out my plot notes for the rest of the story, and consider how I want to handle any ship that may blossom.

I had to re-write this chapter a few times to get it to the point that I felt it wasn't too OOC and disrupt the atmosphere I had built with the rest of the story. I hope I didn't screw it up too badly!


	20. Recovery

Chapter 20

Hermione gradually woke from one of the best sleeps she had had in a long time. Her joints crackled as she stretched out, a languid smile on her face. Hermione settled back into the covers for a few minutes while she went over what had happened after Harry, Ginny and Luna had left the hospital the day before.

_The portkey deposited them at the Burrow. Once she had gotten over the surprise, Molly and Hermione had Luna changed into some fresh pajamas and tucked into Ginny's old bedroom. Harry held Henry as the women were a hurricane of activity. The two males just stayed out of the way while things were put straight._

_Hermione came down to the kitchen and sat at the table. She had been visiting with Molly when Luna, Ginny and Harry arrived in the dining area by portkey. Harry pushed a just poured cup of pumpkin juice towards her with a weak smile. His eyelids were drooping and he had terrible black bags under them as if he had been awake for days._

"_Harry! You're exhausted! You need to get some rest. Let me take you home and you can get some sleep. Ginny and Molly can handle everything here now."_

_Harry just nodded and set Henry on the table as he stood. Henry strutted over to Hermione and sniffed once, then let out a small sneeze of welcome before he sauntered up the stairs to join Luna._

_Hermione smiled as she thought that Henry would get along famously with shook her head and stepped beside Harry to lend a shoulder to lean on._

"_Let's get to the fire so I can help you through the floo." Harry just nodded and lurched towards the door. His fatigue was almost overwhelming now that the adrenaline was out of his system. Hermione escorted him to the fire, tossed in some floo powder and called out her destination, "Granger Residence!"_

_Upon arriving at home, Dobby had leapt at the chance to help Harry. Within moments, he was also changed to some comfortable pajamas and tucked into the Granger's guest bedroom. Hermione explained what had happened to her parents._

Hermione did her morning rituals of brushing her hair and teeth, then dressed and went down stairs. She saw her mother sitting in the breakfast nook having a light breakfast with Dobby. She got along famously with the house elf. Hermione remembered when she had to explain to Dobby about how sometimes friends just did things for each other when Emma had gifted him a new modern pots and pans set. The poor elf was beside himself that someone would do that for him when all he had done was share some of the recipes he used in everyday cooking. Emma had completely amazed her cooking club with some of Dobby's creations.

"Good Morning, Hermione. Our guest seems to still be asleep. I looked in on him before I came down for breakfast. I don't think he's even moved all night!"

"He was completely exhausted, both physically and magically. I don't doubt he won't be awake before noon. Have you heard from Ginny or Molly today?"

"Molly fire called about half an hour ago. Luna is awake and eating. She seems to be bouncing back from her ordeal quite quickly. I'm always amazed at how your magical healing is so efficient. Any non-magical person just waking from a coma that lasted that long would be going through extensive physical rehabilitation just to be able to walk. Molly said Ginny will have her up and flying in a week! Luna was asking about her wand. Do you know anything about it?"

Hermione shook her head. "She's going to have to get a new one. I believe her old one was destroyed in the fire that killed her father."

A voice from the kitchen entrance startled both women. "That's something I can help with, but I will need to go back to the Burrow first."

Hermione jumped up and pulled Harry into a hug. "How are you feeling?"

Harry returned the hug and said, "I'm fine."

Emma's laugh filled the kitchen. "Oh, Harry! You're just like she described! Hermione said you could be bleeding to death and you would respond with 'fine' if anyone asked. I'm pleased to see that a good night's rest is all you needed in this case."

Harry chuckled and looked at Hermione. "Telling tales about me, were you? Thank you, Mrs. Granger for the use of the bed."

"It wasn't an imposition. Now, I need to head to the surgery. Ta!" She picked up her bag and headed out the door.

Emma's plates floated to the sink and started to clean themselves. Harry could see Dobby whipping up a breakfast of champions at the stove. "Alright there, Dobby?"

"Oh, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is so happy you is home! Breakfast will be ready right away!"

Harry shook his head with a smile.

* * *

The fire flared up and turned green at the Burrow as two people stepped from the flames. Molly looked up from the dough she was kneading and smiled as she saw who it was.

"Harry! Hermione! You're just in time. Ginny is helping Luna get dressed and will be down in a few moments. Harry, be a dear, stand by the stairs to give a helping hand if she needs it?"

Harry moved to stand near the end of the staircase. He could hear voices coming closer and a couple of feminine laughs. Luna and Ginny came around the last landing and stopped for a moment to allow Luna to shuffle to the last few stairs. Harry's face lit up with a huge smile as he saw Luna moving about. He held out his arm as she stepped off the last stair. Luna placed her hand on his arm to steady herself as she gingerly moved to the table. Ginny slid the chair under her as she settled onto the chair.

"Luna! You look wonderful! You moving around on your own in a few days," Hermione commented to the blonde.

"I feel like I've been assaulted by wrackspurts, with some nargles putting in their own two cents!"

Hermione's smile froze on her face. "Uhm. Yes. Quite."

Harry sat at the chair across from Luna. Henry made himself known by climbing into his lap. The careful placement and depth of claws had Harry frozen in place until the snorkack had gotten comfortable.

"Honestly! I just got rid of the hair that Crookshanks left last time he visited! We'll be picking it out of everything again!" Molly huffed as she saw Henry.

Luna turned and looked at Molly. "Snorkacks don't shed, Mrs. Weasley. They are like phoenixes and can control when and how much hair they drop. I'm willing to bet you won't find a single hair that comes from Henry." Henry accentuated the comment with a snort.

Molly goggled at the small cat-like animal. She had just assumed it was a species of kneazle cross that she hadn't seen before, but she had never heard a kneazle snort.

Harry took this as an opportunity to do what he came to the Burrow for. "I understand you are missing a wand? I was wondering if Henry would be willing to provide a few hairs for me to build a new one for you. I would only need half dozen shorter ones, or a few longer ones."

Henry jumped up to the table and turned to look Harry in the eyes. Harry could feel something that was almost akin to a legilemency probe, but softer. He got the distinct feeling he was being judged. After a few moments the snorkack ducked back onto his lap and dragged its self under his hand like a cat or dog would do when seeking attention. Harry looked at the palm of his hand and saw a small tuft of hair. He smiled and placed it into an envelope he had brought for just this purpose.

"I swear that I will not let this hair out of my sight. When I am done creating the wand for Luna, I will give her all the unused hair. Thank you, Henry."

Luna smiled and replied, "Keep what you don't use Harry. We both know you won't allow it to get into the wrong hands. Who knows? There might be a young Hogwart's student that one of the wands made with the hair chooses who gets sorted into Ravenclaw?"

Harry and Hermione stayed for another twenty minutes chatting with Luna, Ginny and Molly. Luna tired quickly and was assisted back to her bed by Ginny and Hermione. Harry excused himself and flooed to Ollivander's to start Luna's new wand.

* * *

Harry was putting the finishing touches on Luna's new wand when the bell sounded for the front door. Ollivander was hunched over a wand that he was trying to fix and was oblivious to the world. Harry set down his polishing cloth and went to the front.

Remus had puzzled over Moody's words all night. He wanted to rush over to the wand maker's shop first thing in the morning and find out exactly what was going on, but restrained himself until almost noon. It had been many years since he had been in Ollivander's. The only real changes he noticed was the shelves seemed a bit more organized. The dust seemed to have been wiped away and the glass on the windows was actually clean.

A shape came from behind the curtain to the back.

"Welcome to Ollivander's. How can I help…Moony?" Harry's eyes were large as he spoke the last of his welcome.

Remus only took a moment to look at the man before him before stepping forward and pulling him into a hug. His arms gripped Harry like a dying man in his last moments.

"Harry! Where have you been? Are you ok? I'm so glad to see you…. I thought you were…."

"Remus... can't…breathe…" Harry gasped out.

Moony relaxed his hold but didn't completely let go. He stretched his arms out while still gripping Harry's to hold him at arm's length. His face was covered in tears, his expression of a broken man only now seeing the light of hope.

"I'm ok, Moony. I've had a rough go of it. It's been a difficult path, but I'm better." He looked at the back room and sighed. "I have to work until later this afternoon, but we can have supper after?"

Remus nodded and wiped at his tear streaked face. He pulled Harry into another hug, not quite as tight as the last one. "As long as you never leave me alone again, Pup. Promise?"

Harry nodded with a smile and said, "I promise. Now… can I sell you a wand polishing kit?"

* * *

The two men were seated in a privacy booth at The Leaky Cauldron for supper. Harry managed to get completely through the entire story about his trial and incarceration without stopping once. He wasn't sure if it was the retelling of it several times, or just that he was finally coming to terms with his lost years, but he didn't feel as bad as he normally did after the tale was out. He brought Remus up to date with everything that had happened. He left nothing out.

Remus listened in silence. His head bowed down by the end. They were quiet as Tom brought over two warmed glasses of Ogden's Finest.

"On the house, Gentlemen. Well, actually it's from Alastor's private stash, but he won't mind." With a wink he passed back through the privacy ward.

Harry passed a glass to Remus. Raising his glass he toasted, "Here's to those who wish us well. Riddle and his tossers can go to hell!"

Remus snorted in laughter as he tried to drink his firewhisky. A small flame shot from his nose as the liquid came out. After waiting a moment to see if Remus was ok they both started to laugh. It quickly degenerated into table slapping and howls of laughter.

After several minutes of chuckling, the two men were finally able to look at each other without setting the other off again.

"Oh, Pup! I haven't laughed like that for years! I'm so glad you're back! What are your plans now?"

Harry sipped his fire whisky and sat back in the booth for a few moments before answering. With a deep sigh he spoke.

"Honestly, I'm sort of winging it. Since I was released I've participated in three fights, woke one of my friends from a coma, and built an apprenticeship for myself. It's all been rather muddled together."

Remus nodded and tossed the last of his whisky back. He hissed as it burned its way to his stomach.

"Why not take Moody up on his offer? You could sharpen yourself while providing Aurors with valuable skills. And the law is clear. You can't buy a new wand, but you can make one! It's a loophole that the purebloods made sure to have so they could get new ones when theirs gets snapped. Use their laws against them."

Harry nodded. He looked into his glass and squinted his eyes in thought.

"Usually you're supposed to read tea leaves, not Ogden's Finest." Harry glanced up and laughed.

"Just lost in thought. I'm pretty sure I have the materials I need for a wand, but I don't know if it will work for me. Either way, it will be difficult to make. I've already spent a few weeks on it, and it's slow going. Ollivander says if I can create a functioning wand, it will be a masterwork."

Remus sat back in surprise. "A masterwork? You do realize that would grant you a mastery in Wand Making? And since the Ollivander family is the only current group in Great Britain to have the ability to grant Mastery, you would be part of a select group? Anyone can make a crude wand, but they usually have to be replaced fairly often as they burn out. A Master Wand Maker's wand lasts a lifetime and beyond!"

Harry smiled again. He finished his whisky and stood up. "And if I'm going to ever get it done, I have to be at work tomorrow! Good night, Moony. If you need to get in touch you know where to find me!"

* * *

Alastor Moody was at the Auror Acadamy when Hedwig delivered her message to him. He stretched his arm out for her to land on it. Several of the trainees gasped as he allowed what they thought to be an unknown owl to land on him…and one with mail!

Mad-Eye removed the missive and gave Hedwig an owl treat from his pocket. She gave a short bark of thanks, then daintily took it from his fingers. Once she had finished the treat, she launched off his arm and back out the nearby window.

With a growl that could be heard across the compound, Moody chastised the auror recruits. "Get back to it! Constant Vigilance!" He followed the words with several lightning fast stinging hexes. There was a fury of activity as they tried to comply.

Alastor unrolled the parchment and read the note.

_Moody,_

_I will agree to two half days a week, payment to be made to Ollivander's Shop for my time. You will need to provide me with a secure floo address, or a re-usable portkey. I will be known as James Black at all times. I also reserve the right to refuse to instruct anyone who cannot accept any rules I may impose. Let Tom at the Leaky Cauldron know your response. _

_HJPB_

Moody flicked the parchment in the air and aimed an incendio to dispose of it. After ensuring it was ash, he returned to his trainees.

After the training day was over, Moody retired to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. When Tom brought his glass over he set a rolled parchment, an Instructor badge, and several coins on the table. Tom looked at the items, and lifted an eyebrow at his friend.

"Our mutual friend has agreed to assist me for a couple days a week. The message and badge are for him, the coins for you."

Tom's face belied his doubt. "Are you sure? He's never even finished his schooling. You might be making a poor decision asking for his help. He's not the same lad he was all those years ago. He's gotten… hard."

Alastor barked a grating laugh before tossing back the glass of whisky. "That man and four of his school friends took out a dozen Death Eaters in the Ministry ten years ago. They were only young boys and girls then, and HE trained them. All they used were stunners, jelly legs and other school grade curses! He's faced down Voldemort several times, and I personally saw the mess he left behind when he didn't use stunners. Those Auror cadets won't know what hit them."

Tom nodded and swiped up the items from the table. "I hope you know what you're doing. I'll bring you another glass, and some supper if you'll have it?" Moody nodded and sank into thought, his blue eye whirling alert even as he was contemplating the next time he saw Harry.

* * *

Harry was picking up a take away lunch in Muggle London for himself and Ollivander. He was passing back through the Leaky Cauldron when Tom motioned him over.

"Ah, Olllivander's young Journeyman. I seem to be unable to get away from the bar, and have a delivery that cannot wait. Would you be willing to drop off something for me on your way back to your master's shop? I would make it worthwhile?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders in acceptance and waited for Tom to get the delivery together, a dozen butter beers. "It's to go the Weasley brothers shop. It's already paid for, just take it in to the front desk and they will accept the delivery. There are an additional two for you in this bag here for your trouble."

Harry added the bag with his bottles to the take away box, and set it on top of the dozen bottles. With a jaunty nod and smile, he was through the arch and into the Alley. A few minutes later, he set the bottles on Fred and George's desk. The brothers waved as he left the store.

As he was unpacking the lunch, Ollivander passed him the bag that the butter beers had been in. "I believe this is yours as well, Mr. Black. I will expect a detailed accounting of the time and any materials you may use while assisting Auror Moody. We will bill the Ministry accordingly. Would an even split for what we charge for your time be acceptable to you?"

Harry had dumped the contents of the bag out in front of him as Ollivander spoke. He fingered the badge for a moment before speaking. "Yes, Mr. Ollivander. I believe that would be acceptable. I appreciate you allowing me the time to go and do this. I promise it is only two half days a week, and they can be any two that fit in with the store's needs."

Ollivander laughed. "Mr. Black! You will bring in more income in the next few weeks than we see in a year! It would be curmudgeonly of me to not give you at least an equal share. I managed to muddle along before you came to work for me, so no worries there. Please let me know the days you will be gone, so I can adjust our schedules accordingly. Now let's eat. I'm curious to try these… what did you call them? Peet-sa?"

**Author's Note:**

**All I can say is: Sorry. It's been far too long since I did an update. I can only hope that those of you who have been waiting for me to update are forgiving. **


	21. Armistice

**Chapter 21 - Armistice**

"_A wand is a semi-sentient magical construct. While any wand can be used by anyone, a wand that has bonded to a person will function best. The core and wood combine to make a magical matrix that has an additive energy when combined with magic that has been filtered through a witch or wizard's core. Thus the ability to master high order spells. As the wand and owner interact, the bonded wand's magical construct will alter to better align with the core of the witch or wizard it is bonded to. A new wand can take as long as 2 years to fully adjust to a new user's core, therefore it is important to attempt to repair rather than replace when at all possible with a long term bonded wand._

_It is also possible to commune with a wand on some level. Only a select few witches and wizards have the power to do it with __any__ wand. As it is only semi-sentient, a wand can only exchange simple impressions. It is thought that this is the same channel used to communicate a wizard or witch's thought when performing transfiguration or conjuration spells for the final form of the object cast upon. A common example is the form that a corporal Patronus takes, which is pulled from the casting witch or wizard's subconscious. Some materials have an affinity for some types of spells as well. More flexible woods have an affinity for transfiguration, while the stiffer ones are better focused on defensive magic or charms…."_

_Excerpt from __**Wood, Wands, Wisdom and You**_

Harry gathered his tools and the items he was going to need from his desk and placed them in a small travel chest that Ollivander had in the shop. He closed the front clasp and pulled it to the center of the back work room. Ollivander was watching him with interest.

"Mr. Black, I have something for your first day. Please, take these and distribute them to the recruits." He handed Harry a stack of pamphlets that had various auror grade items that could be purchased at the shop. The pictures showed items like summon proof wrist holsters, leg holsters, specialized cleaning and protective kits.

Harry nodded to the shopkeeper from his perch on the chest and gave a jaunty salute as he activated the portkey badge. A sharp tug behind his navel pulled him from the shop.

After a few moments of spinning he felt himself touchdown. He was in the middle of an apparition and portkey arrival point. Moving quickly, he pulled his travel chest out and made room for the next witch or wizard to use it. Moody was standing off to the side where he had been waiting for Harry to arrive.

"Nice to see you're punctual, Mr. Black. Ollivander has at least got that trained into you. Now, what do you have planned for my recruits? Not that I'm judging your lesson plan… I just want to have a peek before the fireworks."

Harry handed him a muggle notebook with his handwritten notes in it. He had planned out three months in advance, and recorded all the spells, wand movements, incantations, and theory behind each of the spells. Also included were footnotes and small essay suggestions.

Moody's magical eye spun around and then stopped on the book in his hands. He flipped through the content and blew a silent whistle.

Harry made a nervous cough. "I had Hermione help me some with the planning. She was the one that basically did the research when it was the DA. I provided her with the original material; she just filled out the… uhm… technical parts."

Moody nodded and tucked the book into his pocket. "I'll have the reference info made into proper copies for the recruits. I should have the package back to you by the time we're ready to start. If you'll follow me?" With a wave of his wand, Moody levitated Harry's trunk and led him to the same gymnasium like area he had been in last time. The same table was set up off to the side for him to work from.

Mad Eye set the trunk down beside the table and started to clump away. "You've got about an hour to prepare before they finish their current classroom lesson. I'll be back with them then."

Harry opened the trunk and pulled out his classroom props. He set five different wands on the table, three different models of wand holster, and all the pamphlets that Ollivander had sent. Pulling up a chair, he opened the _Wood, Wands, Wisdom and You_ book and re-read the passage Ollivander had mentioned a few days ago.

Harry set the book down and pondered the passage. He closed his eyes and relaxed in the chair as he went through the various permutations of wand materials and how they would benefit each school of magic.

Ezekial hovered in the background as Harry was lost in thought. Ezekial could feel minds enter the room with them. He sent out a small, innocent pulse of magic and mapped where they all were. Harry brought himself to the present when he realized that Ezekial was getting nervous.

"_The recruits are in the room. Their surface thoughts show they think you are sleeping. One is preparing to cast a low powered curse at you… "_

Harry waited until he could feel the power gather and release from the trainee. With a sudden movement, he had dove over the table and tucked into a roll in front. With a spring at the end of the roll, he launched himself at the trainee who had cast the jinx. Subtly adjusting his landing point to prevent any lasting damage, his foot came down on the trainee's instep. A sickening crunch could be heard. Harry followed up with a spin and open-handed slap to the chest that rocked the man off his feet.

Harry looked at the rest of the trainees. They were all standing with their mouths open and in shock. The one who had attempted to attack him was lying on the floor holding his obviously broken foot and howling in pain.

For several moments no one moved. Harry reached down and picked up the wand that Trainee Aubrey had dropped when he had landed on his foot. "I believe this is yours? I suggest you go and get your foot looked at by the medi-witch. Come back and get your wand when it is healed."

Aubrey limped toward the waiting medi-witch. Harry surveyed the rest of the trainees.

"All right. Now tell me, what went wrong there? You, Trainee?"

The young man he was pointing at snapped to attention and spoke. "Leach, Sir! We assumed you were asleep and did not believe you as a credible threat."

Harry nodded. "Correct. As I'm sure Moody has told you, Constant Vigilance. Never assume a person is not a threat until you have them naked, and under magic suppression lock and key. What else? How about you, Branstone, I believe?"

Eleanor Branstone snapped to attention. "He assumed you would retaliate magically, and not physically, Sir!"

"Another good point. There is a famous muggle saying that works well in this situation. '_KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid'_ Tell me, Trainee Pilliwickle, how does this apply?"

A tall recruit near the back of the crowd snapped to attention and answered. "Judge the situation. Why cast a spell when a simple shove would work to break an incantation? Magic is not the only answer to every solution."

Harry tilted his head to the side as he listened. "Close, but I'll accept it. It comes down to this: Control your emotions, control your magic, control your surroundings, and you will not fail. Now, these are all great points, but you all missed the biggest mistake so far. Anyone?"

Harry waited a full thirty seconds before turning to Moody. "Would you care to answer, Master Auror?"

Moody stomped into the group of students and growled his answer. "None of you did anything at all. You stood and watched as an unknown force took out one of your team mates. You waited for someone to tell you to do something. Not one of you reacted to pacify the attack. Your jobs are to protect the public. None of you even had your wands out, let alone cast a spell!" Moody's face was red by the end of his tirade.

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Master Auror. Now, I would like to give you all a chance to earn back his good mood. Everyone line up along the wall. Wands on the bench behind you. "

The trainees all ran to the wall. Harry walked to the table and gathered up the five wands. He walked the first trainee and offered a random wand to him. "I'm going to give you each a chance to try this. I'm not sure you have all tried to cast with someone else's wand in the past and want to give you a taste of what it can be like. You first five ready? Cast a simple stunner at the targets on the wall over there."

Each of the trainees cast the spell. A washed out red was the best they could do. Harry progressed down the row until they had all had a chance. He had several re-cast the spell after some coaching when he saw a poorly executed wand movement.

"Trying to cast with a wand that is not yours is difficult, and tiring. Even hand me down wands tend to be a poor fit. I've seen it before where a young man was using his father's wand. He was able to barely perform. Once he got a properly bonded wand, he was very, very powerful."

"Now pick up your wands. Hold them in your hand however is most comfortable. I want you to relax and close your eyes. I promise no surprise attacks during this exercise!" Some chuckles could be heard through the ranks. "Carefully and calmly cast the Lumis spell. Keep it lit and pay special attention to how it feels. Trace the feel of magic flowing through your wand and out."

Harry watched as the group cast the spell. Some were brighter than others, and some fluctuated, but all had a decent light. Suddenly one flared to actinic brightness. Harry pointed to the trainee and spoke. "You! What did you feel?"

The trainee was looking at her wand in awe as she responded in a quiet voice. "It felt like… a warm feeling, like when I play with my pet dog. It was a friendship… a partnership?"

Harry smiled. "Excellent! Now, try to get that feeling again and cast a stunner at the wall over there again."

The trainee relaxed, and snapped off a stupefy. This time the spell came out like a giant static shock. The crack! of it travelling almost instantly to the target rattled the ceiling and had some dust falling.

"Each of you has heard this a thousand times. A wizard or witch's wand chooses them. It's just like you said: A partnership. You can connect to your wand and when you have a good working partnership, you can both read what the other needs or wants without even thinking about it. Now, Trainee… Harkess? Yes? Put down your wand and try the same thing with this borrowed wand."

Harry handed her one of the wands he had brought with him. Trainee Harkess held the wand for a few moments, a small frown of concentration on her face. She cast a stupefy a few moments later. The spell was significantly stronger than the first try, but still no match to her own wand's effect.

"Sir, it was like negotiating. It felt like I had to ask it to work with me, and it did, but felt… odd? Like trying to write with the wrong hand."

"Well said. I'll take that wand. Now I want you to all pair off with someone. It is important to have trust of both your partner and their wand. Your exercise for the next ten minutes will be to get to know the other person's wand, and them by extension. When you feel comfortable, go and try school grade jinx dueling. Please, nothing stronger than a jelly legs or tickling charm until I say so."

Harry wandered back to where Moody was sitting. He sat on the bench beside the auror and spoke as he observed the trainees at work. "So, Moody… care to make a bet?"

Mad Eye's magical eye swiveled to point at Harry. He looked at the man beside him for a moment before answering, "What bet?"

"I bet I can have one of your trainees casting a fully corporal Patronus with an un-bonded wand before the end of today's lesson."

Moody's real eye widened in disbelief. "What stakes?"

"Let's keep it simple. A bottle of Ogden's Finest Reserve."

Mad Eye nodded. "But, I pick the trainee!"

Harry shrugged. "Of course. Pick out your choice."

Moody pointed out Trainee Leach. "He's a good lad, but still needs to get confidence."

Harry stood up and motioned to Leach. The trainee collected his wand and jogged over to stand in front of Harry. "Trainee Leach, reporting!"

Harry picked up a wand that had not been used in the previous exercises. With a nod of his head, he motioned towards an unused corner of the room.

"Please give us some quiet, Trainee." At Harry's request Leach waved his wand and erected a privacy ward around the corner.

Harry motioned at the bench seat and had the trainee sit down. The young auror recruit sat with a look of interest and concern on his face. He studied the man that Moody called Mr. Black. At first glance, he would have guessed he was in his late forties, but now that he had a chance to do more than glance, he lowered his assessment by at least twenty years. The lined and scarred face along with the greying hair was what skewed his first guess. What really drew his attention were the eyes. They were like he was looking not only at you, but at your thoughts, desires, intentions and soul.

Harry cleared his through and settled down on the bench beside the recruit. "What's your name, Recruit?"

"Girard Leach, Sir." Harry nodded and glanced at the wand in the recruits grasp. Girard held the wand up between his fingers. "It's ten inches of Holly with a thestral hair."

Harry held out his hand and took the wand from the recruit. He set it on the table beside them. He then handed the recruit an un-bonded wand he had brought for the exercise. "This wand was made by an Ollivander over three hundred years ago. It's a strange combination of twelve inches of hemlock with a heartstring from a chimera. Ever since it's construction, it has failed to bond with anyone. Honestly, I think it's a bit of a peeve to Ollivander to not be able to match it to someone." Harry smiled as he handed it to Leach.

Girard Leach gingerly picked up the wand and gave it a swish. The wand did not emit a great stream of red and gold like his did. Barely a single washed out grey sparkle fell from the tip. Harry nodded and pointed at the result.

"That's the best anyone has gotten from it, including myself. How far have you gotten in your occlumency?"

Leach shrugged his shoulders as he responded, "Not bad, I guess. I can build the walls, and keep out an attack for a minute. Not nearly as good as I need to be."

"Ok, Girard. Here's what I want you to do. Pretend that wand is someone you are going to try to scan with your legilimency. Relax your shields, and gradually reach out, like you were going to try to insinuate yourself past some shields. Don't hide, just gradually move towards it. When you do touch it, wait a moment until you feel it respond to your presence. Tell me when you're there. Take your time."

Girard swallowed nervously and nodded his head. He settled back on the bench, getting into a comfortable position. He lightly held the wand in his hands, almost cradling it as if it was fragile. His breathing became steady as he dropped into the relaxation exercise used to teach occlumency. One by one the muscles groups relaxed and he gradually faded to almost sleep. After several minutes, he spoke.

"It's…. angry? No.. not angry, just not happy."

Harry smiled. "That sounds right. Have you ever dealt with a hippogriff? Proud beasts that need to have respect before you can approach? Try the same thing here, but mentally. And I'll warn you, Trainee. Don't try to obscure your thoughts. If you try, the wand will sense it."

Girard's eyebrows beetled on his brow as he concentrated on his task.

_Girard Leach had been in this mindscape many times. He was one of the recruits that had been getting extra tuition for his occlumency since he was falling behind. He had always envisioned his mindscape as a vast desert, the winds of his magic blowing across the dunes of his mind. His thoughts protected by a huge rock citadel that jutted up from the middle. _

_Right now he was standing in front of his stronghold, looking at a pillar of whirling sand. The giant swirl was almost a hundred meters tall, and was so massive that the air currents seemed to lumber around the center. Small fingers of lightning rippled across the surface. After taking a calming breath, he stepped forward. As the wand's full attention came to bear on him, he felt like a huge weight was settling on him. He was truly awed by its mental presence. First he bowed his head, but didn't lower his eyes. Then, he gradually performed a full bow and scrape. His gaze never left the sight in front of him. Somehow he knew that if he showed subservience like that the wand would completely reject him. It was a proud and powerful artifact and would accept nothing but the same as a partner._

_The djin-like cloud didn't change for several moments. Then, the pressure let off, and he could feel an almost grudging welcome. He waited for another few seconds before regaining his footing. The whirling sand compressed down to a dust devil. It still was crackling with static, but was not as threatening._

_It suddenly moved forward and engulfed Girard. The static lightning played across his mental sand didn't scour him, but felt more like a cat's tongue on his face. A gruff, formal feeling of limited partnership firmed in his mind._

Harry carefully watched the trainee in front of him with his mage sight. He could see the pulses of magic going between him and the wand held in his hands. Suddenly, the erratic pulses slowed and a rope-like conduit settled into place.

Leach's eyes slowly opened. His gaze rested on the wand in his hands for a few moments. When he looked at Mr. Black he had a huge grin on his face.

"That's bloody brilliant! I think I know what the occlumency tutor was trying to show me earlier now too!"

Harry patted him on the shoulder and stood up. "Good! Let's try a spell, shall we! Let's move over there where there's some room."

Trainee Leach broke the privacy ward as he walked through it and strode towards the center of the work area. Moody blew a whistle and the rest of the recruits entered formation. He smirked at Harry and gestured to continue. Harry winked back at him and moved to stand next to Girard.

"Here's what you're going to do. I want you to think of something that really makes you happy. Something that really fills your heart with joy. Ever been in love?"

Leach blushed and nodded his head. "My girl and I just got engaged. We'll get married when I graduate… If I ever do."

Harry slapped him on the back. "Congratulations. Now think about that moment when you first kissed. Mash it together when she said yes, and image how you will feel as you say the words at your wedding. Take the feelings and put it all together. Got it?"

One glance at the man's eyes was all harry needed to know. The recruits blue eyes were almost glowing with gathered power, and a filling with tears of happiness.

"Take the bliss… compress it and send it to through your wand as you cast the patronus spell. **Now do it**!" Harry kept his eyes open only long enough to see the young man take a breath and shout out the spell's incantation. He threw up his arm to shield his face at the moment of release.

"_**Expecto Patronum**_!"

The sudden yelling and shouts of surprise were all he needed to know he had won his bet. Opening his eyes, he could see the recruits all fumbling around with their hands on their eyes. Moody's magical eye was spinning like crazy trying to make up for his natural one being dazzled.

The corporal patronus strutted around in front of Harry and Girard. Its proud stance was unmistakable. Harry let out a low whistle and turned to Girard.

"I don't think I've actually ever seen a witch or wizard with a patronus of a Dire Wolf. I reckon that's almost two meters at the shoulder, you think?"

Girard nodded and reached out to run his hand through the spell's energy. He felt the emotions he had put into the spell. "Normally, it's just barely a wolf. I've never gotten it to be fully realized."

The rest of the class had recovered from the spell flash. They all looked contemplative as the patronus walked up to each one and sniffed them. It finally turned to its caster and threw its head up in a silent howl as it faded away.

Moody allowed everyone to take a moment to allow it to sink in.

"I want everyone to study the material you were given at the start of the session. I expect you ALL to be able to cast a patronus with someone else's wand and have the written portion complete by the time Mr. Black comes back in two days. Dismissed! Leach, stay for a moment."

Harry went to the table and started to pack up the materials. Each of the recruits had come by and picked up a pamphlet as they filed out.

Moody spoke quietly to the Auror recruit for a few minutes. The recruit handed the borrowed wand to him and retrieved his own plus a pamphlet as he left. Moody stomped over to Harry and handed the wand to him.

"It seems I owe you a bottle of whiskey. When you pulled out Ollivander's white whale I thought I had already won. He stopped trying to find someone that 'Ahab' will bond to?"

Harry shook his head. "Not yet. Every person that comes in the shop looking for a wand is given a go. It seems this wand is waiting for someone special to come along, but it will work with the occasional witch or wizard if properly handled. This was sort of a win – win situation. He was either going to be able to talk to it, or I show the dangers of using strange wands to the recruits. The whiskey was just a bonus."

Moody's mouth gaped open for a moment before he started braying in laughter.

"You cheeky bugger! Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron and get some supper! I'll pay up on the bet there."

**A/N: One of the dangers of posting a story late at night: Making a terrible spelling mistake in the chapter title. Wow.. I feel like a tool.**


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